As Strong as Wisteria
by Keep Calm and Be Ninja
Summary: Losing everything was hard enough. Moving in with relatives from so far away difficult still. But getting dragged into the Feudal Era? That was a bit of a stretch. Rated T for violence and later swearing.
1. Major Changes

**As Strong as Wisteria**

**Chapter 1: Major Changes**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or Beautiful by Ayaka.**

* * *

**Normal POV**

"Kagome! Remember your cousins are finally coming to stay with us this evening!" The gentle voice of Higurashi Rui called out to her teenage daughter.

The beautiful ravenette smiled happily from the kitchen, readying breakfast. It was a lazy Saturday morning-she decided to stay in her pajamas.

"Okay! I'll get the guest bedroom ready after breakfast!" She called back.

Kagome was excited to see her adored cousins after so long, but just wished it was under better circumstances. Needless to say, the thought excited her.

She had two cousins: Both girls, one older and one younger. The older cousin was only a couple of months older than her, and they'd grown to have a remarkable relationship.

Thankfully, Auntie Narumi agreed to arrange frequent visits to Tokyo, despite living in Kitakyushu-a populous city located in Fukuoka Prefecture, Kyushu. And due to the visits, the younger cousin, who was a year younger than Souta, grew to have a friendly relationship with him.

A pang throbbed at her heart. Auntie...

"Thank you dear! And make sure to check and see if Souta really did clean up his room or not. I have to leave for the port in an hour. It's a bit of a drive."

"Okay, mom!" Kagome replied, thoughts beginning to pop up into her head.

What if her cousins didn't like her anymore? What if they didn't want to talk to them? What if they tried running away or something? What if...

There were too many what-ifs scrolling through her mind, so the ravenette simply pushed them to the back, focusing on making tamagoyaki, hand-sized bowls of rice, miso and various small side dishes not excluding tsukemono pickles, grated daikon radish, and nori.

Unfortunately she forgot to go buy some salmon or mackerel for broiled fish the other day with her mother, who also forgot much to their disappointment.

Broiled fish in the morning was delicious.

Savory aromas wafted through the house, eventually luring her younger brother down from his room, where he was most likely hiding out with the intent to play video games the majority of the day.

"Mmm, smells great Sis!" Souta complimented as he plopped down onto his designated chair at the table.

Kagome edged a bright smile. "Thanks, Souta! But don't think you're getting out of helping bring it all over to the table!"

He groaned, easing himself out of the chair to aid in the tedious task. It was worth it, though. Kagome's cooking had gotten exponentially better, despite a few burnt dishes along the way.

"Jii-chan, breakfast!" The teenager raised her voice.

Grumblings from her grandfather were a result as the old man sat down at the table, ready for food.

The reason the ravenette was cooking breakfast instead of her beloved mother was because she felt she should allow Mama Higurashi some alone time to mourn.

She couldn't imagine the pain her mother was going through, yet somehow the kind woman managed to smile at her children as if every day was happy and sunny.

Right.

Food.

It was already 11, and her mother still needed to eat before getting ready to head to the port. It was roughly a 3 hour drive depending on traffic, considering they weren't as close to the water, but since her cousins were coming via ferry, it was necessary.

After all, the poor girls couldn't afford airfare or driving there (legally).

Kagome sat there, chopsticks at the ready beside her brother and grandpa.

"Itadakimasu!" They cheered before digging into the meal.

"Mom, make sure to grab some of the food before you leave!" The teenager requested.

"Sure, honey." Higurashi Rui answered from upstairs.

The ravenette eagerly stuffed her mouth full of tamagoyaki and rice, thoughts wandering to her dear cousins that would arrive in a few hours.

"Did you know that grain and fish misos have been manufactured in Japan since the Neolithic era? They're called 'Joumon miso', and the earliest form of miso is known as Hishio. It has been theorized that Hishio and other fermented soy-based foods made their way into Japan around the same time as Buddhism, which was in the 6th century AD..." Her grandpa began, instructing the already bored children about the history of miso soup.

* * *

**With Mama Higurashi, 3 hours later**

Rui Higurashi had just reached the port, already scanning the mass of bodies spilling out from the incoming ferry. She hurriedly got out of her car, making sure the doors were locked first, and jogged as best she could in 2 1/2 inch heels, which clacked against the hard ground.

Peeking out over the heads of many, she finally spotted a familiar head of long dark chocolate with layered bangs.

Waving a hand, she forced a smile. "Over here, Seina! Risa!"

The former lifted her head, finally taking notice of Rui's presence. Her face was pallid, gaunt from lack of eating and definite bags under her eyelids. Nevertheless, her dark honey brown orbs glittered against the rays of the early afternoon sun. A small wave was returned, though lacking energy.

The wind started picking up, carrying the salty scent of the ocean with it. Waves in the ocean were on the calm side, occasionally crashing against the port a bit harder and sending small sprays of seawater at people's feet.

Once Seina had reached her aunt with her younger sister in hand, the trio began to walk back to Rui's car.

"So, how are you dears?" The concerned woman inquired, searching her nieces' faces.

She didn't really need to ask to know. It was clear to her Seina hadn't been taking very good care of herself.

Lips chapped, cheeks sunken in, her slightly revealed neckline showing very prominent clavicles and her collarbone, and the ever present bags under her eyes. The way she walked made her look as if she was possessed.

At least little Risa looked healthy. There was a sad glint in her dulled eyes, but she looked well-fed, well-rested and overall...well, healthy. That was a relief. It meant Seina had made sure to look after her, and that they weren't separated during their time with child services.

"Fine." Came the surprisingly strong reply.

Ah, yes. She probably inherited it from her mother. Rui knew for a fact that her sister Narumi always had a very impressive endurance, and never liked showing weakness. Especially in front of her family.

She sent the teenage girl a worried gaze. "Have you been eating enough?"

"Yeah." Seina forced a smile, stopping behind Rui's car so she could unload her and Risa's bags into the back.

She was wearing a simple white v-neck and denim shorts, topped off with the prized necklace given to her by her parents and flip flops. Her long ebony hair was pulled back into a fishtail braid, leaving her layered bangs in front.

"Here, let me take that. You should get some rest in the car." Mama Higurashi insisted, trying to take the bags from her.

But the girl simply shook her head, a small smile on her face. "No, it's okay Auntie. I'm not the only one having a hard time dealing with this. I can take care of my own baggage."

She was surprisingly able, despite her unhealthily thinning frame.

Suddenly Rui found her legs being squeezed by a pair of small arms. Looking down, Risa was holding onto her aunt for dear life.

"I missed you Auntie Rui!" She exclaimed, pressing her small head against her.

The seven-year-old was in a yellow summer dress with a thin white cardigan and white sandals. White sunflowers decorated the dress.

Mama Higurashi knelt down to the girl, wrapping her arms around her in a loving embrace.

"I've missed you too, Risa. And I promise you, I'll do my best to make sure you and your sister are happy living with me and my children."

The girl lifted her head excitedly to her aunt. "So I'll get to see Souta?"

Her aunt laughed. "Yes, you'll get to see Souta. And Kagome, too."

"Yay!" Risa cheered as Rui led her into the backseat of her car with a smile.

The trunk slammed shut, signaling Seina had finished loading it up with their things. The teenager took shotgun, sitting in the front tiredly beside her aunt.

It was a 3-hour drive back, so Rui finally got the two of them to take a nap while they drove. Seeing Seina's eyelids close, her breathing becoming relaxed, sent a small wave of relief over the grieving aunt.

Tears welled up in her eyes, though she was quiet about them as to not awake her nieces. She loved her sister Narumi very much. Sure, they lived in two different cities, but they stayed on good terms for the most part. Rui had so many things she'd wanted to tell her sister, to apologize for the fight they had a week before she...she died.

It was a stupid fight, too. So stupid she didn't even remember what it was about.

Usually Mama Higurashi was a very happy, calm and supportive person, but when it came to her sister, sometimes they got into arguments. It was a natural part of having a sister. There would be fights and times both of them wished they'd never contacted each other in the first place.

However no matter how many fights Rui got into with Narumi, she never hated her. Yes, she got frustrated sometimes and revealed sides of herself she usually kept hidden, but she without a doubt loved her sister.

And now, she was gone forever.

As was her husband, Yoichi. Mama Higurashi considered him a brother, and he was such a good man, husband and father. Now he wouldn't be able to see Risa grow up, to protect Seina from boys, or walk his girls down the aisle.

She promised to her deceased sister and brother-in-law that she would care for their children like her own. Rui would see to it they grew up to become kind-hearted, considerate, wonderful women. It was the least she could do.

The mother and caring aunt had been told frequently that she endlessly surprised people with her words of wisdom and actions.

At that moment, while mourning for her beloved sister and brother-in-law, she surprised herself. She found clarity, determination, and a renewed fiery spark within her soul.

* * *

**Normal POV-3 hours later**

It was about 6 PM when Mama Higurashi finally pulled into the driveway. The sudden stop awoke Seina, but Risa remained blissfully asleep.

The teen hopped out of the car, grabbing all of the bags from the trunk and appeared conflicted about whether or not she should rouse her little sister from her deep slumber.

Rui, thankfully, intervened. "I'll carry Risa since you're taking the bags, okay Seina?"

Seina nodded, still half-asleep with bleary eyes. She stumbled slightly as she made her way towards the front door behind her aunt.

_"This place reminds me of home..." _The teen thought drearily.

The home she didn't have anymore. The home that was part of a shrine that no longer existed.

Rui fished out her keys, unlocking the front door and calling out to her children and father-in-law to alert them of her presence.

"Kids, Jii-chan, I'm home! Seina and Risa are with me!"

The thundering of feet slapping against stairs filled the room as Kagome and Souta dashed down to the entrance way before Seina could blink. And then somehow she was crushed in a hug by her only female cousin.

"Seina-chan! It's so great to see you! It's been forever!" Kagome cheerily exclaimed.

Unfortunately, Seina wasn't in a cheery mood.

She awkwardly patted her cousin's back, wondering how the hug was possible considering she was up to her chin in baggage.

"Here, I'll take your luggage!" The ravenette offered, but Seina swiftly evaded her.

"No, it's okay. I've got it. Just show me to the room if that's alright." She replied.

"I'll put Risa in her new bed." Rui stated, the first one to go up the flight of stairs.

Before Seina could follow, an old man walked up to her. A smile crept onto her face despite herself. Even though Jii-chan wasn't her actual grandfather, he had always been kind to her, and was really the only actual grandparent she'd ever known. Her own grandparents died before she was born.

"Hello Jii-chan, how are you? The back doing okay?" She asked as the old man laughed.

"It's as good as ever!" He answered, striking a pose only to have his back make cracking sounds.

Immediately he was hunched over, groaning in obvious agony.

Seina sweatdropped, unsure if he even desired any help. "Er...Jii-chan? Do you need any help?"

"No, no. I'll be alright!" Jii-chan quickly recovered.

Smile still lingering, Seina set the bags down to pull out a couple of containers from her knapsack.

"Here. It's poultices I made from the herbs that survived back at my house. I got a lot of help from mom, though. I was making them for the next time we were planning to visit, which was coincidentally the next week until...you know, the fire happened. One of them's a special remedy for back pain, and the other is a powerful muscle relaxant that you rub onto the designated area with a cloth."

Tears of gratitude were practically streaming down Jii-chan's face in rivers as he accepted the medicine.

"Oh, thank you! Such a considerate gift, I'm deeply touched. I will always consider you my granddaughter! At least you actually appreciate my history lessons." He added, shooting Kagome and Souta a knowing glare.

They smiled innocently in response.

Seina laughed softly. "Well, I'm a sucker for interesting tales. You never know what could've happened back in the Feudal Era, after all."

Jii-chan's eyes brightened. "Indeed! In fact I have a particular lesson of interest-"

"-Sorry Jii-chan, but if it's alright I'd like to go unpack. It was a long ride from Kyushu and the drive here, and I want to get it over with before I'm too tired..." The teen gazed at him apologetically.

The grandpa waved a hand. "Go on, I understand it's been hard for you."

She heard him muttering about teenagers having less energy than an old man while walking away, though.

_"Rather rude, but he's kinda right...where did my endurance go?" _The brunette pondered.

Picking up her bags again, Seina trudged upstairs to the guest room she and her sister were sharing, dropping the bags onto the center of the floor.

"Do you need help unpacking?" Kagome asked as her mother laid Risa down onto her bed.

Seina opened her mouth, about to tell off her cousin, but it would come out as uncivil and she really needed the help. There were three bags total because she and her sister refused to let go of any possessions that survived the fire.

"Yeah, thanks."

It was a rather spacious guest room, big enough for two twin-sized beds, two dressers, a couple of shelves, a desk and a built-in closet on both sides. The walls were painted light blue with a slightly darker ceiling.

The two teenagers got to work, filling up every available inch of space with clothes, sentimental items and schoolwork. Items used for hygiene were placed in the bathroom next door.

Most of what Seina and Risa had were newly bought, considering only a couple of their shirts survived. It was one of the few things child services was able to accomplish.

Once they were done, it was already 9.

Something that bothered Seina was that most of the furnishings looked brand new. She had a sneaking suspicion they purchased it all to make it easier for them to adjust, and so that they'd have enough storage, but...well, she always felt uncomfortable when people she was familiar with bought so many things for her.

"Phew! Wow, that took longer than I thought." Kagome smiled.

Seina wished she was more like her cousin-so pure-hearted (granted a bit naive) and upbeat. It would take her a while to truly get over her parents' deaths.

"Seina! Kagome! Dinner's ready! Try and wake Risa if you can!" Rui called from downstairs.

"Okay, mom!" The ravenette replied.

Her eyes went back to her beloved cousin. "Did you want to wake up Risa?"

The brunette glanced at her younger sister. "Yeah. She sleeps like a rock but I finally figured out a way to get her up. We'll meet you downstairs. Is there even enough room at the table?"

Kagome giggled. "Yup! We could probably squeeze in an extra person!"

She then left the room, much to Seina's relief. She liked Kagome, but sometimes her desire to remain friends, or 'good cousins', grated on her nerves considering how hard the girl tried. She wasn't like Kagome-all giggly, happy and bubbly. Seina had her moments, but for the most part she was a calm, collected individual. Too much...girlishness overwhelmed her.

She just couldn't deal with it. Kagome had even painted her room _pink_. Granted, it was pale, shell pink, but it was still too much pink for her own tastes.

Poking Risa's cheek, Seina whispered, "The kappas are here for you."

Instantly the little girl jolted awake, eyes flashing in fear. "No! Don't let them drown me!"

Her light chocolate brown irises finally landed on her amused sister. An angered huff escaped her lips. "Nee-chan! How many times do I have to tell you to stop doing that?!"

Risa hopped off her bed, glaring at the taller girl who was near laughter.

"As many as it takes for me to find another way to wake you up, which hasn't been that successful," Seina answered. "Come on, it's time for dinner."

"Really? I'm starving!" Risa exclaimed, dashing down the stairs with a ravenous glint in her eyes.

It was then the brunette realized she was quite famished as well. Mouthwatering aromas drew Seina down to the dining room, seeing everyone already seated and ready to dig in. She sat down in her designated seat between Souta and her sister.

Seina couldn't remember how long it'd been since she'd had an ichijyu-sansai styled dinner. The soup was spicy pork miso, with side dishes of grilled chicken, genmai, nikujaga, nori, and sunamono. It looked heavenly.

"Itadakimasu!" Everyone chanted in unison before beginning to eat their delicious meal.

"Thank you for the food, Rui oba-san. It's amazing." Seina smiled, slowly nibbling at her grilled chicken and sunamono.

Ever since the fire, seeing everything get swept up into skin-burning flames, she didn't have much of an appetite. Every time she started eating, flashbacks occurred and guilt consumed her. It was survivor's guilt, but she still felt responsible as the eldest sibling.

Risa was stuffing her face with genmai and nikujaga.

"Yesh, it's very good!" She agreed with her mouth full of stew.

Mama Higurashi smiled happily. "I'm glad you both like it."

"Kaa-chan made us wait for you guys. I'm glad you finally came downstairs, I'm _starving_!" Souta groaned, heartily partaking in the spicy pork miso and nori.

"_Souta!_" Kagome chided lightly.

"Sorry for the wait." Seina sincerely apologized.

"It's fine! We're eating now, aren't we?" The boy grinned.

"Sunamono's origins begin hundreds of years ago - back when swords were a common sight and there were no cars, but carts ran by horses and oxen instead. Did you know that cucumbers are favored most highly by kappas in folklore? It's said that in feudal times, people would toss cucumbers into supposed kappa-infested rivers so they could bathe-" Jii-chan began while eating his sunamono, only to be interrupted by Risa.

"Noo! No kappas! Now I hate cucumbers!" The child whined, pushing away her sunamono.

"Jii-chan, look what you did." Kagome sighed.

"Huh? What did I do?" Jii-chan scowled.

"Now you've got her hating cucumbers." Souta stated almost as a reprobate.

Jii-chan gazed at the terrified girl in despair.

Seina glared at her. "You're not going to be impolite and refuse to finish eating Oba-san's yummy cooking, are you?"

Risa slowly calmed down, staring at her lap in shame. "No..."

"Then take back your sunamono and finish eating it." Her sister warned.

Reluctantly Risa took back her plate of sunamono, eating it as quickly as possible to get it out of the way. She cleared her plate under a minute flat.

The Higurashis stared at the sisters in amazement.

"Wow...how'd you do that?" Kagome queried to the younger sister.

"Practice!" Risa beamed, proud of her accomplishment.

"I convinced her that the best way to eat a food she didn't like, especially one served by a guest, was to eat it as quickly as possible so it'd be out of the way." Seina elaborated.

"That's awesome!" Souta exclaimed, intrigued by his cousin's skill.

After dinner, Seina and Risa got ready for bed, exhausted by the long trip. Bidding everyone goodnight, they tiredly headed to their beds.

Shutting the door, Risa and Seina plopped down onto their beds, snuggling up underneath the thin layers of blankets. Summer was drawing to a close, but it was still so hot.

"Hey, Nee-chan..."

"Hn?"

"Do you think we'll be happy here?"

"I don't have clairvoyance, Risa. That's something we'll have to see in time."

"What's clairvoyance?"

"It's the same thing as seeing the future, having a sixth sense, et cetera. Go to sleep." Seina answered, already half-asleep.

"Oh."

Just as the teen was about to sleep, a sniffle kept her awake.

Sighing through her nose, she crawled over onto her younger sister's bed, enveloping Risa into a hug that she quickly reciprocated.

"I...I miss Papa and Mama." The girl whimpered.

"I miss them too."

"Can you...sing me Mama's song? It helps me sleep."

Those words strained at Seina's heart. She was nearly positive that if she sang her mother's song, she'd break down crying.

_"No. I have to keep it together. For Risa." _She told herself mentally.

"I just want to hear you singing so softly  
The tears you shed on that day, you won't see it  
But what will come is laughter

There's a gentle breeze in an empty heart  
It hurts when your heart is regretting love

You grow up and it's enough to be timid,  
Because you have to believe me that you will be able to walk

I embrace and overcome the loss I had  
I wish for happiness so that you could laugh,  
In this shining world"

Already halfway through the song, Seina immediately stopped when her sister drifted off to sleep. Her breathing ragged, the teen placed Risa back down onto her bed, tucking her in.

She lied awake in her own bed, on her side facing the wall, tears dripping down her face that was contorted in misery.

_"I will never forget this pain." _

* * *

A/N: Yeah, kinda angsty I know. Not much happening except Seina and Risa coming to the Higurashi household, but for them it was a major change they have to live with now. Sorry about that :P Please review, favorite and follow! ^^

Terms- Nikujaga: Meat and Potato Stew  
Sunamono: Cucumber Salad  
Genmai: Brown Rice  
Nori: Edible seaweed  
Tamagoyaki: A type of Japanese omelette that involves rolling together several layers of egg.  
Ichijyu-Sansai: One soup, three dishes with rice-styled dinner.  
Oba-san: Aunt  
Nee-chan: Older sister (familiar)


	2. Like A Water Lily

**As Strong as Wisteria**

**Chapter 2: Like a Water Lily**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, just Seina and Risa, and their parents. If I did, Kagome would actually learn from her mistakes and not be so brash throughout the entire series. There's barely any development in her character, and she even tricks Inuyasha into putting on the Sacred Beads again because she was afraid he'd 'run away' or some other crap. He deserved freedom in my opinion-Kagome had no right to take that choice from him. Kikyo is a better person than her, and she's basically already dead.**

Fujino=wisteria field

Seina=star + nara?

Risa=sand of the village

Tou-chan=informal way to say father

Kaa-chan=informal way to say mother

* * *

It was difficult the first several weeks, as late July turned into early August. Another flip of the calendar, a new month. If only it were that easy with emotions. To just flick them on and off like a switch would be such a blessing.

Seina was content waking up, sometimes cooking breakfast with few successful attempts and later making bentos for everyone (which was significantly easier), listening to Jii-chan's historic tales, hanging out with Kagome (to an extent), and seeing Risa so happy playing with Souta.

But it just felt...wrong.

It felt wrong to be at the Higurashi Shrine. It felt wrong that Rui oba-san had to take care of herself and her sister from this point on. To her, being there was almost criminally wrong. Like she had broken some kind of incredibly important law.

She still barely ate, barely kept herself presentable, but did in order to keep up appearances that she was well and healthy. Her oba-san always tried to make her eat more, but Seina never had much of an appetite.

The brunette kept seeing everything get eaten up by those flesh-melting flames, seeing her parents trapped in their own home, narrowly dragging Risa out a window from a makeshift rope that she made from her bedsheets. She kept seeing her parents when she went back in to see if they were okay, despite the oncoming fire heading towards her room.

She kept seeing them die.

They were screaming at her to leave, to get out and keep Risa safe. But she had to go back and try to save them. They were her _parents_, why wouldn't she try to save them? Though what could a fourteen-year-old do that adults couldn't? Seina's mother had gotten pinned underneath a piece of ceiling that had collapsed, and her father stayed behind to pull her out.

But neither of them made it. Seina saw the first few minutes of it.

Flames licked at their bodies, hungrily enveloping their beings as their agonized screams mingled with the roars of the fire.

It was the most horrific scene she'd ever witnessed, and the constant reminders caused her to lose her appetite every time a meal was placed in front of her. Seina could have sworn there was another figure amongst the smothering flames, watching them, watching her parents die. But she couldn't be sure-for all she knew she was hallucinating.

Mama Higurashi insisted on getting them new backpacks as well as uniforms for school, which would start in a month's time. But Seina denied her assistance, instead looking for part-time jobs so she could buy it herself. Her parents had her stated as the first to inherit their fortunes in their wills, and said they set some aside for Risa when she came of age. However, she wasn't eighteen yet, therefore Seina couldn't access their money.

It was baffling to think things like that-inheriting her parents' money, and other things stated in their wills. Rui was arranging the funerals, which apparently took a while. Seina didn't really want to do it, so she readily agreed for her aunt to take over.

Job-hunting, at least locally, wasn't as hard as she'd imagine. Perhaps it was because in Tokyo, everyone was so busy and there were so many people, similar to the big city in Kitakyushu. She babysat on Mondays in the late afternoon for a single working mom, and got a part-time job at a cafe nearby, where she worked Wednesday afternoons and Friday evenings.

Rui, to say the least, wasn't pleased. She went ahead and bought Risa her uniform, because she knew Seina couldn't cover the cost for both her own and her sister's uniforms, school supplies and backpacks no matter how hard she worked.

Seina didn't complain. She wanted the best for her imouto, but some things she just couldn't provide. The brunette thanked her aunt profusely and promised to pay her back, receiving a scornful look from Mama Higurashi and a scary lecture about how she shouldn't take everything upon herself.

Today was Thursday, which meant she didn't have work. So, she passed the time in her cool, air-conditioned room.

Unlike her bubbly cousin who loved to pass the time chatting with friends over the phone and shopping, Seina preferred to quietly read in the confinements of her room or draw in her sketchpad.

Reading stories were a way of escaping reality for her, as was drawing. It relaxed her senses, pulling out her creativity. She loved doing both-granted she wasn't the best artist in the world-but she'd vastly improved over the years. Writing alongside reading fulfilled her fantasies inspired by what she read.

It distracted her from the reality of her situation.

She was an orphan now. Her parents were gone forever, leaving her and her aunt to take care of Risa. Why? What had she ever done to deserve this?

Seina paused in her sketch, pencil freezing in the midst of a flurry of curves and lines. She gripped it so tightly it cracked a little.

_"What am I thinking? Why did I deserve this? Way to be selfish, Seina...Risa's suffering, too. And whatever happens, happens for a reason...even if what happens is so extremely painful it physically hurts...I have to believe there's a silver lining. I have to believe it gets better...because if I don't, who will? I need to stay strong for Risa." _

Her eyes roved over her unfinished drawing-an anime portrait of her mother. She'd gotten the jawline and hairline completed, just touching on the nose after completing the eyes-those kind, gentle, laughing eyes she'd never see again except for pictures and her sketches. Wisteria flowers decorated the background, accentuating her mother's beauty.

_"Look Seina-the wisteria flowers are in bloom!" Narumi exclaimed, marveling at the vines of lovely purple flowers they'd grown as a tree near the Fujino Shrine-acting as a visual for the meaning of their family name._

_She was wearing a light blue summer dress with pure white trim, long flowing hair down except the parts framing her face, which was tied back. A white shawl was draped around her thin form, the translucent fabric adding a sense of elegance._

_The wisteria trees were one of their attractions, like the sacred pond rumored to have been purified by powerful priestesses long ago and used for healing, but they also did festivals like the annual Star Festival, a local Cherry Blossom festival, and a Lantern Festival-despite there already being a lantern festival in Nagasaki, her parents made business since not everyone in Kitakyushu bothered to drive about two hours just for the festival held in Nagasaki. _

_T__here were other smaller festivals they held that people loved to go to, so they made a decent living. However, it helped that Narumi was a doctor-her salary definitely helped._

_Little Seina, only five at the time, gazed up at them in confusion. "Kaa-chan, Papa told me that wisteria is mean-that they overtake and choke out other plants to grow more, and that they have to be kept away from the shrine because it'd take over the house. Why do you love them so much?"_

_Narumi's warm gentle eyes, colored a rich honey brown, locked onto hers. "Even though wisteria can do that, they're so beautiful and strong. They can thrive in the most dismal conditions, and especially under full sun. Wisteria needs some kind of support to grow, but they can also grow on their own. These plants survive and adapt, always working hard to stay alive and keep growing. Not only are they pretty, but they are also hardy. Sometimes, when I'm in a difficult situation, I think of these flowers and work harder, like them. And look at how they changed the trees-they're much prettier now, aren't they?"_

_Seina nodded her head._

_"Wisteria can give normal things beauty. From that I act kind to others, to give them a sense of beauty, whether it be on the inside or outside. That is why I love wisteria, my dear."_

_Big, dark eyes lit up with fascination and childish animation. "Wow! I didn't know that, Papa never told me!"_

_Seina looked at the lovely wisteria trees. They had four total: One white, one pink, one purple and one violet. They'd bought one of each color to give their shrine some eye-catching variety. They'd been planted at places spaced a little away from the shrine itself, but people could still walk around and gaze at them._

_A big grin filled her countenance. "I'll love wisteria, too! And I'll be strong just like them!"_

Seina's lips dropped into a disgruntled frown, shutting her sketchbook closed and tossing it onto her bed.

_"I won't...I can't think about her right now. Because at this moment, I'm so consumed and overwhelmed with so many different thoughts and worries, I want to ask her...what I should do. And it hurts, since I know I can't ever again." _

The teen's fingers became entangled in her head of dark chocolate brown hair, eventually freeing it of the fishtail braid she'd had it in.

"Maybe I was too comfortable with my life...to really think about what would happen if kaa-chan and tou-chan were to disappear from it. What I'd do, how I'd take care of Risa. It's so hard, even with Rui oba-san here to help...I feel like I was dropped into the deepest part of the ocean, sinking deeper and deeper to the point where all I can do is flounder, struggling to breathe as my lungs burn for air."

Seina, in all honesty, feared being in the deep ocean. She could handle swimming pools, and she'd learned how to swim from Kagome, but she found the ocean frightening.

It was dark and ominous, with tons of mysterious creatures lurking below in the shady depths. The brunette was terrified at the thought that one day, she'd get drowned by some tentacle wrapping around her leg, suckers digging at her skin and never be seen again.

Then her thoughts went astray, pondering about her latest, longest and greatest fears: The ocean, spiders, getting mugged...

She'd been scarred for life by seeing her parents die, but did she fear fire now? Seina still saw it as a necessity: a source of heat, a way to cook food, sometimes even cauterize wounds.

The brunette had always admired fire-she'd sit before the fireplace, getting lost in the crackling flames of orange, yellow and blue. It was so beautiful-mesmerizing, even-yet could cause so much harm. Out of all the nature elements, Seina found fire to be the most complicated.

Was she supposed to hate it? Shriek whenever a candle was lit? Shy away from bonfires? Sit the farthest away from the fireplace?

No, that wasn't her. If there was a candle lit, she'd probably remain calm, though she'd keep an eye on it just in case. Bonfires, perhaps, would be a little more alarming, but she'd still keep her sanity. Fireplaces were the least of her worries, too.

Now, if someone was waving fire in front of her somehow, she'd most likely lose it. Or if a house was on fire...

"Hey, Seina-chan!" A cheery, feminine voice exclaimed, startling the teen so immensely she fell out of her chair with a _thump_.

Kagome stared at her cousin in surprise. "Ah...are you okay?"

A vein bulged on said brunette's forehead as she gripped the built-in desk to hoist herself up. "Just peachy. Would you mind knocking before entering? I was lost in thought."

The raven-haired beauty blushed in embarrassment. "Oh, yeah, sure. I'm so sorry!"

"Never mind-it's already passed. What's done is done. Anyways, what did you barge in to tell me?"

Instantly Kagome's light brown eyes lit up. "Oh, right! I was wondering if you wanted to come with me and my friends to go shopping! You could finally meet them, and it'd be a nice change in scenery."

Seina fully stood, arms crossed over her chest in contemplation. She could only handle her cousin so much-that boundless energy she always emitted tired her out constantly. But it'd be a good idea to start making friends; better have more allies than enemies. That had been her motto in school.

_"Agh, what if they're more nosey than Kagome, though? I don't think I can stay patient around people like that...but since Kagome's so popular in her school, I have to meet them so I'd have a better chance once I start going there..."_

"Okay, sure. Let's go." She finally decided, grabbing her wallet and knapsack.

Kagome glanced her over. "Are you sure you don't want to wear something a little more...feminine?"

The brunette's eye involuntarily twitched in irritation. She was wearing a soft peach tanktop, her necklace, and knee-length denim shorts.

"I'm not wearing a skirt." She replied flatly.

Honestly, the teen was sick of the way girls were expected to wear short, skimpy skirts and shirts that showed cleavage. That wasn't all there was to females, and if being a rebel was what it took to change things, then she'd be a rebel.

Kagome waved her hands frantically. "Oh, no, it's not that I'm trying to force you to wear something you hate, it's just..."

Seina walked over to her cousin. She was taller than her by several inches, considering Kagome was only 5'2 and she was 5'5. Seina was proud to admit she'd inherited her height from her mother, who'd been unusually tall. So she had to look down at her month younger relative.

"I understand-first impressions and all that. But this is me, 'Gome-chan. I'm going to show them who I am, how I dress, how I act. I hate wearing skirts-especially ones with no leggings. And today is hot, so I wanted to wear something cool but comfortable. I'm sorry if this upsets you."

The ravenette's flustered expression melted away, leaving instead one of inspiration and warmth. "It doesn't upset me at all! Actually, you make an amazing point...I'd like them to see the real you, all of it. From clothes to hair to personality: everything about you. I should be apologizing-I felt a little nervous and insecure about what they'd say about you. Two of them are pretty nosy when they want to be."

Seina broke out into a gentle smile, pale pink lips curving upwards. "That just means they're outspoken! Now I'm actually looking forward to meeting them a little more."

_"Total lie."_

Kagome beamed cheerfully, linking her arm with her cousin's and traipsing down the stairs. Naturally Jii-chan asked where they were going, and since neither would be alone when heading to the mall, he allowed it. Kagome pulled on her brown loafers while Seina slid her feet into her white flip-flops.

Outside, the two got onto Kagome's bicycle, with Seina sitting on the spare space behind her, both their purses in the basket. The ravenette teen craned her neck, her bright grin plastered on her face.

"Ready?"

The brunette nodded, her light smile dropping the moment she turned back to the front.

_"Mom...is it okay if I forget, just for a little while? Will that make me a bad person, wanting to forget you and Dad? I'm tired of being strong like wisteria, or you, all the time. Just for a few hours, I want to be like a water lily that floats on the surface, not having to work hard to stay strong. Just for a few hours..."_

* * *

Kagome reached the entrance to the mall, already spotting her friends Yuka and Eri waving at her. She waved back, balancing her bike with a single hand.

"So, those are your friends?" Seina's deeper, smoother voice queried.

The ravenette had always been secretly jealous of her cousin's voice. Her own was higher in pitch and sometimes it annoyed _herself_. But Seina's was lovely: Slightly lower but still highly feminine, and every time she spoke the words sounded so flowing-like a tranquil river.

She supposed it was strange to be jealous of someone's voice of all things, but she still loved everything about her relative. The entire reason she invited Seina along with her on this outing was to get her out of the house and take her mind off her parents. Living in another's shrine must have been hard for her to accept, especially since her family lived in it voluntarily.

"Mm-hmm! Don't worry, they won't bite!" Kagome jested, though inwardly she was extremely nervous.

_"I really hope Eri and Yuka don't ask any invasive questions...Seina is really sensitive." _

They hopped off the bike, chaining it beside a row of other bicycles, as Eri and Yuka immediately swarmed around the cousins.

"Hey Kagome-chan! Who's that?" Eri asked, dark brown eyes flitting to the new arrival.

"Eri-chan, Yuka-chan, this is my cousin Fujino Seina. She lived in Kitakyushu, but she's going to be living with me and my family from now on, and she'll be going to our school." The teen elaborated.

"Ehh, I see. Nice to meet you, Seina-san!" Eri grinned, bowing and extending her hand in a polite manner.

"Nice to meet you too, Eri-san." The brunette replied, mimicking her actions.

"Welcome to Tokyo!" Yuka smiled, also shaking her hand after a bow.

"Thank you, Y...Yuka-san, was it?" Seina murmured hesitantly, earning a small laugh from the girl with neck-length hair.

"Yeah. You're good at remembering names!"

The brunette shrugged. "I guess. I can remember faces really well too, even if I've only seen them once. But I've always thought of it as a higher level of observation."

_"So far, so good!" _Kagome thought, praying to Kami her friends wouldn't ruin anything.

"Really? Wow, that must come in handy." Yuka gaped, amazed at Seina's ability.

"Sometimes. Other times it's useless-I saw faces from elementary school that I never talked to because they didn't remember mine. In those situations, it's just annoying." Seina smiled, fiddling with her purse.

"Hmm, I guess that would be really annoying, now that I think about it." Eri commented.

"Wait, where's Ayumi?" The ravenette inquired, glancing around to try and spot a head of long, wavy ebony hair.

"Oh, she had some errands to run, but she'll be joining us soon. Do you want me to call her? She said she'd have her cell phone with her." Yuka offered, pulling out her own cell phone.

Kagome smiled radiantly. "No, it's okay. We'll just wait for her-maybe do some window shopping at the stores just inside the mall."

"Sounds like a plan!" Yuka grinned, dragging her friends inside the mall and automatically inspecting the items behind display windows.

"Ooh, this looks nice! Let's go in here." Eri smiled, pointing to a chic clothing store.

They entered the shop, Eri, Yuka and Kagome already fanning out to different styles and colors of clothing. Seina stood by the door, unsure of what to do.

_"Why is she just standing there? Is she lost in thought again, or does she really not know what to do?" _Kagome wondered, making her way over to her cousin.

"Are you okay, Seina-chan?" She asked, touching her arm lightly.

Seina's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh, yeah. I just...don't do a lot of shopping. I don't really care about what I wear that much, either."

Kagome didn't want to say anything, lest incur the wrath of her relative, but she believed Seina should care more about what she wore. She didn't wear anything really eye-catching, feminine or impressive, just plain, ordinary clothes. Of course, her height always caught people's attention, and she was as pretty as the ravenette thought herself to be, but the difference between her and Seina in that regard was that Kagome actually brought out her appearance using her clothes.

Seina didn't do anything to try and bring out her beauty more-no makeup, no nice clothes, no perky accessories. It was as if she was content being invisible.

_"Maybe she is." _Kagome realized, and decided it wouldn't do.

"Well, we're going to change that right now!" She winked, pulling her cousin by the wrist and beginning to point out different kinds of clothes she knew would look good on her.

Seina became flustered when her cousin shoved her into the dressing room with a pile full of clothes in her arms. Kagome herself had her fair share of clothes to try on, as did Yuka and Eri.

"We'll all try them on and show each other! This is one of the fun parts of shopping for clothes!" Kagome instructed, shoving her cousin into a changing room.

"Ah, er...what?" She stuttered, glancing around nervously. "How is this fun?"

"Because we get to try on so many different clothes! Come on, just close the door, change and tell us when you're ready." The ravenette encouraged, entering her own changing room.

"Yeah! Don't worry Seina, we won't judge you or anything. Just try stuff on and have fun with it!" Eri added.

Kagome heard Yuka say something similar. She smiled to herself while pulling on a long-sleeved off-white sweater and a pink skirt with white polka dots. The teen was glad Seina was receiving such positive support. She knew her relative really needed it.

Several times they changed and stepped out to show each other, with Seina very awkward at first as she didn't really see the point in the whole thing. Gradually, though, she loosened up and began enjoying herself. Of course, she was too insecure and self-conscious to start twirling and strutting like Kagome, Eri and Yuka, but the way she smiled and laughed told the ravenette she'd begun having fun.

Kagome knew it wasn't actually the clothes Seina was enjoying-it was the company. She'd started chatting with all of them after a while, though she still didn't see what was so special about modeling clothes.

After they tried on everything, Ayumi burst in, having spotted them through the window, and apologized profusely for her delay. Naturally no one was mad at her, and Seina got along with the wavy-haired girl swimmingly. Perhaps it was because Ayumi was the most gentle and polite of the group.

Sauntering about the mall, Kagome couldn't help but steal glances at her cousin every once in a while. For the first time since coming to Tokyo, she was genuinely smiling, laughing sincerely, and a certain spark seemed to return to her eyes.

It was nearly startling, but Kagome was relieved and glad. Her cousin seemed so much older than her actual age ever since she walked through the door of her home, eyes distant, empty and serious, her entire posture giving off an aura of stiffness and maturity. She'd taken the title 'older sister' very seriously, and it was apparent she'd seen things no 14-year-old should ever see.

Seeing her so lively, the ravenette admitted she looked younger. Like she was actually fourteen instead of twenty.

And with that realization, she beamed.

"Kagome-chan? What're you smiling about?" Seina asked, even her speech patterns loosening.

She shook her head, a fondness coming over her. "Nothing, I'm just having a lot of fun!"

Her cousin smiled back. Kagome loved it when she smiled-it brought about a certain radiance. "Yeah, I'm enjoying myself, too. Thank you, Kagome. For bringing me along."

"You're welcome."

Kagome felt proud to say she was the cause of Seina's sincere smiles and laughs. It felt good to know she made someone feel better, even if it was only in the smallest of ways.

* * *

A/N: Yes, I made them go shopping like stereotypical teenage girls. But hey, everyone has to go shopping at some point. And for Seina, it was a little like therapy. Favorite, follow and review! They inspire me to write more! ^^


	3. The New Girl

**As Strong as Wisteria**

**Chapter 3: The New Girl**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. If I did, it wouldn't have gone on for so long...I don't think...I dunno, so many seasons and four movies is a bit excessive in my point of view, but it's great at the same time.**

Bento: An organized boxed lunch comprised of rice, vegetables and varying foods like onigiri (rice balls), fish or meat.

Sensei: The Japanese term for 'teacher'.

* * *

Seina gazed at herself in the mirror, albeit tiredly. Usually she didn't care about her appearance, but today was the first day of school with Kagome, Eri, Yuka and Ayumi.

Her short bangs at her forehead were swept to the right, coalescing with her layered, longer bangs framing her face. A tired, gaunt countenance greeted her back.

She inwardly felt a pang of anxiety. For Seina despised the female uniforms. The skirts were far too short for her liking. So she bought some full-length leggings to accompany it. They weren't too thick, seeing as how the weather didn't exactly call for them (yet) but weren't too transparent either. However, generally in Japan girls didn't wear leggings with their short skirts, so in a way she was defying the rules in terms of dress code and would stick out rather prominently.

Despite feeling uneasy about what the responses would be, she felt it was better to display who she was to everyone from the get-go. She doubted it was breaking the rules. More like...bending them.

Her backpack, filled to the brim with supplies, was hanging off her back. The thick straps dug into her shoulders a bit, but she didn't mind. It was great to go back to school and learn things.

Of course, that was always her attitude when she first returned to school. Then, after a single class, she remembered why she was always so eager for summer again. The constant pressure to get all A's and to be the top student in class was agonizing. And the piles of homework did not lessen the stress.

Seina always believed learning wasn't about how much homework was received and completed, but about understanding the material. After all, if one didn't understand it, in less than a year what they were taught was forgotten since they refused to bother themselves with reflecting on the information.

Giving her reflection a fist-pump, she attempted to psych herself up. This was rather difficult to do so early in the morning.

"All right Seina, time to give it your all!"

It didn't exactly change her mood, but at least now she had a positive thought in her head. Leaving her room, she was met by Kagome and Risa in the hall, descending the staircase with them.

"Morning, Nee-chan!" Her little imoutou cheered, all prepped and ready for her own day at school.

"Morning Seina-chan! Are you ready for the first day?" Her cousin queried cheerily.

She still did not understand where her energy came from.

"Ah, good morning to you both. Yes. I'm prepared to face the day head-on." The brunette answered, edging a smile.

Kagome finally noticed her attire, eyes flickering from her face down to her leggings. Her smile soon dropped into a disgruntled frown. "What's with the leggings?"

Coolly Seina continued down the stairs, saying good morning to Auntie Rui, who had just finished cooking breakfast.

"I wanted to wear them."

Seating themselves at the table, Kagome persisted. "But why? The school code says-"

"'Gome-chan, I'm not actually breaking the code or rules, am I? I just want to keep warm. My legs are really sensitive. It's already August, and I also don't want to feel violated. All it takes is one breeze and everyone would see what's under this short thing."

Kagome pursed her lips. "I guess."

Seina, again, barely ate anything. She waited for her cousin before leaving the shrine with her, bento in hand, and hopped onto her new bicycle that Mama Higurashi bought her much to her chagrin. Though not before wishing little Risa a good day at school and giving her a tight hug.

"So, is there anything I should know about your classmates?" She questioned as they pedaled.

It was nice to feel the wind against her face, the cooling sensation reminding her of winter in Kitakyushu, which never really got freezing cold.

The ravenette pursed her lips. "Well, some of the guys are a little pervy, so watch your back. But they're okay for the most part. Some of the girls are on the jealous side, but you shouldn't have a problem with them. You have me, Eri, Yuka and Ayumi to back you up! So...yeah. That's about it."

"How many people do you know in the school?" Seina further inquired.

"Uhh...off the top of my head? About...seventeen?" Kagome answered, growing increasingly befuddled by the onslaught of questions.

_"Seventeen__…__ That's a good number. It's a relief she's popular." _The brunette mused.

It would be easier to get to know people if they already knew her cousin and less people would bother her in a negative way.

"Why do you-" The ravenette began, but the school soon came into view.

"Oh look! We're here." Seina pointed out, spotting Kagome's trio of best friends.

"Hey Kagome! Hey Seina!" Yuka called, waving at the approaching duo.

"Morning Yuka-chan!" Kagome kindly returned the greeting, parking her bike and chaining it up with Seina doing the same.

"So, what's your first class, Seina-chan? You got your schedule, right?" Eri queried, attempting to peek at the slightly crinkled paper in her hand.

"Yes. I have English first with Ms. Tsukino." The brunette answered from memory.

"Good luck; Ms. Tsukino doesn't give anyone a break." Yuka sighed, nabbing the schedule from Seina.

She shrugged. "It's fine. I lived in America for a few years when my mother was working there. They taught me a lot about their culture, literature and language. There were some that were a little...crude, but most were very enthusiastic and nice."

They all stared at her in intrigue. "Really?! You've been to America? Is that why you're wearing leggings?"

Seina started walking toward the school, joining the masses of other students as she answered. "Partly, yes. Of course, it wasn't because of the Americans overall. Most of the girls our age wore shorts and skirts shorter than ours. I have a friend there that is more modest, and showed me its importance."

They all stared at her as if she was insane. "What importance could there be?"

"Ah, e-enough about this subject! We're going to be late." The brunette stuttered shyly, hurrying ahead of her new friends and her cousin.

"Wait, Seina-chan! You're moving too fast!" Yuka cried as they tried to catch up.

"Yuka's right! Your legs are longer than ours! Seina-chaannn!" Ayumi called, desperately attempting to keep pace with the taller girl.

* * *

"Class, attention." Ms. Tsukino called, her tone sharp enough to cut through the morning chatter.

"We have a new student today; Fujino-san, step forward."

Seina confronted the class, some staring at her oddly due to her thick(ish) leggings and braided hair. At first she wondered why they were staring at her hairstyle of all things, after all it wasn't uncommon, when she realized that in the class, most of the girls either had short hair or didn't braid it for some reason.

She knew she stuck out like a sore thumb, and it was a bit unnerving. Even with her no-nonsense attitude, becoming the center of attention was nerve-wracking. Honestly, it knocked down her confidence a few pegs.

"I am Fujino Seina from Kitakyushu. It's nice to meet all of you." Seina stated as confidently as she could with a face vacant of expression, bending her torso into a bow.

She spotted some of the boys smirking at her or snickering, as if she was the new joke in school. The girls whispered to each other while shooting her daggers, possibly already conjuring rumors out of the need for gossip or pointless envy. Maybe she was the new joke of the school, or the new source for gossip. But that was fine by her.

"Seina-san, tell us a few things about yourself." Ms. Tsukino urged, emanating a near threatening atmosphere for some reason that was unknown to Seina no matter how hard she thought about it.

"I am female, I am 14 years-old, and I have a cousin that goes here." She answered, earning a few giggles and chuckles from her simplistic responses.

Clearly Ms. Tsukino was not as amused as she stifled an exasperated sigh. "Go to your seat, Fujino-san. You're going to sit behind Yoshida Shinichi. Yoshida-san, raise your hand."

"Yes, ma'am." A boy with light brown hair and hazel eyes replied, lifting his hand lazily as if it were too much of an effort.

Seina bowed to her sensei before making her way over to her seat, ignoring the rude whispers and soft laughter that surrounded her. If they were going to be immature, so be it. She'd been through it before.

Even if she was internally terrified, her father taught her that showing her fear would only make things worse. She needed to face her fear and tackle it head on. Regardless, it was easier said than done.

Pulling out her supplies and her textbook full of famous poems translated into both English and Japanese, she quietly paid attention to her teacher's lecture about a particular American poet: Emily Dickinson.

Back when she lived in America, Seina actually enjoyed reading Dickinson's works. Everything she wrote meant something to her, as if bits of her diary and innermost thoughts were written down into her poems.

"Fujino-san, please rise." Ms. Tsukino ordered, staring at the girl with a severe disposition.

Seina obeyed and quietly stood from her seat while holding her textbook open to the poem they had been discussing.

"Read the poem and then answer my question afterward." Her sensei stated, earning a nod from the brunette.

All of her classmates watched her with little intrigue as she began reading. Shinichi, the boy that sat in front of her, observed her with a slight smirk that she purposely did her best to ignore.

"Much madness is divinest sense  
To a discerning eye;  
'Tis the majority  
In this, as all, prevails.  
Assent, and you are sane;  
Demur,-you're straightway dangerous,  
And handled with a chain."

She heard several of her classmates gasp or stare at her in surprise/awe at her flawless pronunciation. Thank Kami she'd been to America - right about now she felt like she just scored some points!

Seina remained standing as her sensei nodded in minute approval. "Good. Now, what do you think Dickinson meant by 'Much madness is divinest sense'?"

"I think..." The brunette trailed off, brushing her loose strands of hair behind her ear. "...that she might have meant that those who think and see the world so differently, who see it with a different aspect that contrasts greatly against the majority, are seen as insane or incapable of understanding, even though they are usually the ones that are making the most sense, or possibly the most important sense."

Her classmates seemed surprised at her answer, probably expecting her to either flub up due to shyness or reply with something simple or dumb.

Ms. Tsukino remained stoic in her expression, but there was something in her eyes that changed as she stared down her newest student. "Very insightful, Fujino-san. You may sit."

Quickly the taller girl sat down, letting out a sigh of relief. Reading aloud to a crowd and public speaking in general caused her knees to wobble like jelly.

Shinichi turned around to her with a rather relaxed smile. "Hey, nice work. I didn't think you knew anything about poetry. It's hard to get even that kind of compliment from Tsukino-sensei."

Still feeling a little shy, Seina decided to play it safe and go with very short answers while still paying attention to Ms. Tsukino's lecture. "Oh, thanks."

"You said you have a cousin that goes here, right?" He whispered, leaning against his chair.

"...yes. Why?"

"Well, who is it? I might know 'em."

Quirking a brow, the brunette shrugged. "Higurashi Kagome. I'm pretty sure everyone knows her."

Shinichi's light brown orbs widened in shock. "You're _Higurashi's_ cousin?! Damn, didn't see that coming. But now I can kinda see the resemblance. You have the same nose, I think."

"Can you please just face forward and pay attention to sensei's lesson so we don't get in trouble, Yoshido-san?" Seina replied, feeling both a little annoyed and worried about getting caught because of his talkative nature.

"Yoshido-san!" The strict voice of Ms. Tsukino barked, causing the boy to jump a little. "Read aloud the poem."

"Yes, Sensei..." Shinichi grumbled, somehow retaining a cool disposition despite getting caught.

_"Interesting..." _Seina thought, studying her classmate. _"He might not be a bad ally to have."_

_Ally_. Not friend - ally. If she was going to survive the first week, she needed to get as many acquaintances or allies as possible.

* * *

Kagome sat in her seat, gazing aimlessly out the window between notes and nearly zoning out, with only her hand that was taking notes preventing her from doing just that.

_"I wonder how Seina's doing...hope she's adjusting well. Then again, she does have a sort of 'no-nonsense' attitude. But what if people don't like her for it?_" She wondered, jerking out of her daydreaming when her teacher sharply called her name.

_"Oh, crap!" _The ravenette thought drearily, shooting up from her seat. "Y-yes, Uematsu-sensei?"

The tall, aging man that was Mr. Uematsu smiled at her, despite it being somewhat forced, as if he was trying to endure her absentmindedness. "Come and answer the question on the board, Higurashi-san."

Nervously and reluctantly, Kagome made her way up to the board at the front of the classroom, doing her best to ignore the stares and snickers she was earning all because of her inattentiveness.

She never liked her math classroom - it was always a little chilly and so out of her element. She usually felt like the jester of the class, and not of her own intent. Plus it smelled like hand sanitizer for some reason.

Picking up a marker, she stared at the equation for a trig identity that she had to verify.

_"cosecx-sinx=cosxcotx...uhhh...I'd...I should do the right side, right? No, wait...maybe the left side is easier..." _Kagome tried not to squirm under the sudden pressure she felt herself under.

_"Ugh, why do I have to suck at everything?!"_

She bit her lip, hesitating between starting on the right side or starting on the left side. What were the formulas again? Sinx + Cosx= 1, right? Oh, wait, but that's only when they're squared...

"Higurashi-san, do you need some assistance?" Mr. Uematsu queried, eyeing her with slight disappointment.

The girl's cheeks heated up in shame and embarrassment as she heard some of her fellow classmates snicker. "Eheh, n-not at all, Uematsu-sensei!"

But when another five minutes passed without any progress made, Mr. Uematsu sighed before turning to the class. "Who can help Higurashi-san out with this problem? What should be her first step?"

Ayumi, to Kagome's _greatest_ luck, rose her hand.

"Yes, Ayumi-san."

Rising cheerfully, the wavy-haired beauty analyzed the problem for a moment before coming to a conclusion. "She should start on the left side so that it is easier to get the right side, since she can simplify instead of elongating the right side to match the left side. That way, she can write cosecx out as 1/sinx - sinx and get two fractions from there, eventually ending up with cosxcotx."

Mr. Uematsu smiled, nodding in approval of her answer. "Good work, Ayumi-san, as always. You may sit down now."

Obliging, Ayumi innocently sent her struggling friend an encouraging wink, mouthing, 'You can do it!'

_"No, I really can't, Ayumi-chan. I still don't get it!"_ The ravenette thought drearily as her sensei looked at her expectantly.

Filled with uncertainty, Kagome wrote down the fraction Ayumi mentioned and had it subtract from sinx, then set it equal to the right side to complete her first step.

_"This is gonna take me forever!" _She thought, already near tears at her inability to understand math.

* * *

Seina scanned the lunchroom with careful eyes, searching thoroughly for her cousin and new acquaintances. Her English class had gone smoothly except for the slight mishap with Shinichi, P.E. wasn't as difficult as in her previous school, and math was coming to her much easier than usual, though she was still struggling. Then again, back in Kitakyushu her parents made enough money combined to send her to a prestigious private school where everything was far more difficult than in a usual high school, so perhaps that had something to do with it.

"Seina-chan!" She heard Yuka call, spotting her at a table with Kagome, Ayumi and Eri.

A boy with innocent light brown eyes and short brown hair also sat with them, being uncomfortably close to Kagome. Of course, her ignorant cousin didn't seem to mind or perhaps she just didn't bother herself with it.

Seating herself next to Ayumi, Seina offered the overly friendly girls and the strange boy a small smile. "Sorry I'm late, I fell behind in math and had to stay back a few minutes to finish up. Nomura-sensei was not happy with me."

Eri snorted. "He's not happy at _anyone _when they're even a minute late. Besides, since you're all proper and quiet, I'm sure he'll come around. At least you're not as lost as Kagome-chan. She was staring at the board for, like, half an hour."

Her cousin's cheeks colored pink as she sent the outspoken teen a glare. "Eri!"

She looked back at her innocently. "What? It's true."

Ayumi smiled nervously. "Now, now. Can't we all just get along? Oh, right! Seina-san, you haven't met Hojo-kun yet, right? Hojo-kun, this is Fujino Seina. She's Kagome-chan's cousin from Kitakyushu."

Seina politely smiled and stretched out her hand to the boy, who grinned right back and shook her extended hand. "Hi, nice to meet you. It's great to meet one of Kagome-san's relatives! But why are you here all the way out from Kitakyushu, if I may ask?"

"Hojo-kun!" Eri hissed, earning an innocent and hurt look from the teen.

"Huh? What?"

Kagome looked at Seina, who was staring down at her untouched bento in contemplation.

"It's for...reasons that are difficult to talk about." The ravenette answered for her cousin, seeing the pain in her eyes.

"O-oh...I apologize if I offended you or caused you to feel uncomfortable, Fujino-san." Hojo fervently apologized to the taller girl, abruptly standing up.

"I have to get back to my other friends, but it was a pleasure meeting you, Fujino-san."

She glanced up at him, her dark orbs like empty shells. "Likewise, Hojo-san."

Just as Hojo left and Seina had started to force herself to eat her bento, she felt a long arm sling around her shoulders. "Yo, Fujino!"

_"What the heck?!" _She screamed mentally, lashing out with a hand to punch whoever it was.

"Seina-chan! You can't just go around punching people!" Erika exclaimed, as startled as Ayumi and Yuka.

"Oof! Damn...that...hurt..." The brunette heard a familiar voice gasp.

She looked over to see a head of brown hair. Her eyes widened in surprise. "Y...Yoshido-san?"

Seina retracted her still-curled fist from his gut, seeing his hazel eyes wet with tears from the force of her punch. "Y-you...have...a really...strong punch..."

She narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms with a rather disinterested look on her face. "I took self-defense classes for the sake of reassuring my overprotective parents. What do you want?"

Shinichi looked at her with a hurt expression. "How cruel! What if I just wanted to say 'hi' to my new fellow classmate?"

"Somehow I highly doubt it. I wonder why?" Seina retorted, resisting the urge to roll her eyes.

The teen smirked, rubbing his sore gut. "Hehe, you already know me well, don't you Fujino-san? Weeell I was wondering if I could borrow your notes from English - I missed most of it 'cuz of that...incident."

The brunette stared at him for a moment, lacking any warmth or sympathy for the laid-back male.

"No."

"Wha-why not?!

Seina glared at him. "Because it is solely your fault that you don't have the notes in the first place. I'm not going to help someone who slacks off during class."

Shinichi clasped his hands together desperately, practically groveling before her. "Please! Just this one time?"

Kagome leaned closer to her cousin, whispering into her ear as gently as she could. "Umm...Seina-chan, maybe you should help him out just this once, hm? I mean, it _is_ your first day. He could vouch for you to other students! Give him a chance, please?"

"But-" The taller girl started to protest, only to receive a fierce, threatening look from her cousin.

Stifling a sigh, she started rummaging through her backpack and abruptly handed a notebook to a downtrodden Shinichi. He gazed at her in astonishment, unsure if he should accept it.

"I have already completed the homework, so...just this once, okay?" She said without looking at him, too embarrassed to lock eyes.

He grinned, bringing her into an unwanted hug. "Thanks, Fujino-san! You know, for the new girl you aren't too bad. See you tomorrow!"

Once he was gone, Ayumi, Eri, Yuka and Kagome gave her approving smiles. She tensed, intensely focusing on her bento as she ate some onigiri.

"...It's my first day, okay? I'm not totally mean or anything..."

They all giggled while a blush warmed Seina's cheeks. She tried to hide a smile and failed, beginning to talk (but mostly listen) with her new friends that made her feel so comfortable already at this new school.

_"This...might not be so bad after all. Kaa-chan, tou-chan, I'm going to be as strong as I can, okay? And I promise...I promise that I'll make you proud."_

* * *

**A/N: So, what do you think? Sorry I haven't updated in so long, writer's block persistently kept up a wall between me and inspiration that I continuously smacked into. Yes, there's going to be another time-skip, possibly involving Seina's birthday. I'm not totally sure yet, gotta think on it when it's not midnight. Anyway, favorite, follow and review! They help push me forward!**


	4. What Really Matters

**As Strong as Wisteria**

**Chapter 4-What Really Matters**

**Disclaimer: Sadly I don't own Inuyasha :/ But I DO own an awesome Inuyasha playing cards deck.**

***Itadakimasu=Thank you for the meal**

**Oba-san=Aunt**

***Omamori=a talisman people usually give each other for well-wishing or that they receive when visiting a shrine. It supposedly wards off bad luck and protects the recipient, but can have a variety of specific focuses.**

* * *

**A Month Later-October 7th**

Seina grew accustomed to the daily routine of waking up, forcing herself to eat breakfast, grabbing her bento from Auntie Rui, and riding her bike with Kagome to school. From there it was more difficult, because she just couldn't connect with people, even though her new friends and Shinichi helped out with it.

The only real peace time she had was in the locker rooms, where she switched out her street shoes for the pink school slippers she loathed. But at least they were comfortable.

Plus she'd started struggling in some of her classes: contemporary society, home ec, and music. Despite her love for history, relating to world problems was an entirely different issue and one she found difficulty in caring about. Seina also couldn't cook to save her life; somehow she always, _always_ managed to screw it up. It usually resulted in plumes of black smoke from her failures or some kind of freak accident, or even getting the ingredients wrong. Maybe the gods were against her in that regard.

And music...oh Kami she was so _horrible!_ She kept losing the beat, never got in sync with the rhythm, and no matter how hard she tried, no instrument seemed to cooperate with her. Seina opted for choir instead after a single day, but she was barely scraping by with a C, which was absolutely _unacceptable_.

She ended up asking Ayumi to tutor her whenever she was available in order to bump her grade up. Thankfully, the wavy-haired teen happily complied. In return, Seina treated her to some warm drinks from the vending machines after tutoring was over. Plus there was the culture/drawing club she joined that she stayed after-school for every Monday and Thursday, _and_ the times she volunteered to clean up after school.

The looming date of her birthday made her anxious as well, for she definitely didn't want to celebrate her birth this year of all things.

"I really don't want anything, Gome-chan, I swear," she smiled the day before her birthday. "I just...don't really want to think about it. I haven't been enthusiastic about celebrating things like this ever since...you know."

Kagome huffed, blowing up her cheeks and putting her hands on her hips. "But I can't get you _nothing_, Seina-chan!"

The taller girl shrugged, averting her eyes to the school grounds. Kagome wanted to speak with her privately outside; now she was wishing she'd just stayed inside with the girls for their lunch break in homeroom.

"...Kagome, you do not understand," she started, refusing to meet her cousin's inquisitive gaze. "What I want isn't something you can give me."

"What do you mean? I can always get you _something, _right? Something cute, maybe? I don't want to just get you anything, though! I usually end up getting something I want instead, so I..." The ravenette blabbered on, unaware of Seina's tightly clenched fists or set jaw.

She finally locked eyes with Kagome after a moment, practically glaring at her. "Never mind. It's rather clear you aren't catching on to what I am saying. Let's just say that what I want isn't some material object; it's more intangible than that. I'm going back to my homeroom now to finish eating."

"Wait, what do you mean more 'intangible'? Seina-chan, I said wait!"

The brunette rolled her eyes, ignoring her clueless cousin and opting to stomp down the halls back to her homeroom to sit back down at her desk where her bento (that she proudly and successfully made by herself) sat waiting for her to eat. Her onigiri, tempura, veggies, and little sweets compelled her to pick up her chopsticks to calmly and quietly stuff her face.

"Wow, you look like you wanna kill someone. _Please_ tell me it's Nobuo Ryu: I'll help you hide the body. He still owes me fifty yen and keeps avoiding me."

Seina rolled her eyes. She really, _really _just wanted to be left alone; it was the only reason she let herself exude her rather massive killing intent she possessed at the moment. But, she reined in her frustration and turned her head to look up at Shinichi.

"Yoshida-san, what do you want?"

The brunette took little heed of her cold, detached voice, grinning at her as if they were the best of friends. He sat on the chair in front of her the wrong way so he faced her.

"What's got you brooding by yourself, Fujino? Had a little falling out with your cousin?"

Seina tensed, violently stabbing at her tempura with her chopsticks. A tight smile stretched across her lips as her depressing, intimidating aura intensified to the point that most of her classmates were getting nervous.

"What makes you say that?"

Shinichi smiled nervously. "Uh, maybe the fact that you're brutally murdering your tempura? And the fact that I know Higurashi can...tick people off sometimes."

The tall-ish girl silently put down her wooden chopsticks after taking a bite of tempura with soy sauce and wasabi. "So what if I did? How is it any business of yours? I do not recall us being very close."

The classroom was starting to gradually grow quieter, prompting Shinichi to think his responses through better. "Uh, no, we're not. B-but, well, this is how you make friends, right? You talk to people and get to know more about each other."

Seina narrowed her eyes, locking them with his frightened hazel ones. "I highly doubt this is the proper time to "get to know more about each other" after I have - as you pointed out - had a falling out with Kagome. All I want right now is to eat my lunch in relative peace and quiet. Do you think I can receive that, Yoshida-san?"

He squirmed a little under her intense scrutiny, but she gave him credit for not backing down completely. "For now, I guess. You need to cool off. But it's not healthy to keep shi-er, I mean, _stuff_ like that all crammed inside. You've gotta talk to someone about it at some point."

She scoffed as he retreated. Everyone went about their own business aside from the occasional whispers floating around about what just happened. Seina put a quick stop to it through her intense glares she sent to anyone she caught gossiping about it.

Thankfully, the bell rang to signal lunch was over and it was time to resume learning. Math left her a bit stressed out, but P.E. fixed that since she was finally able to leave her homeroom and escape her annoying classmates for the most part. She liked P.E.; it helped cease her dwelling on negative topics and focus on her athletic abilities, as well as ease her mounting stress.

Then it was time for school clean-up. She was on mop duty, unfortunately, with Eri and Yuka: the two nosy, persistent friends of Kagome. Whom, even more regrettably, caught word concerning her little squabble with her relative.

They cornered her when they were alone mopping one of the hallways. She saw it coming; it wasn't like they were exceptionally skilled in the art of subtlety.

"Sooo, Seina-san, I hear your birthday is tomorrow?" Yuka started, eyeing her cautiously.

Seina felt her eye twitch in irritation. "Yes, what about it?"

_"Great, now I have to put up with these two meddlesome people. Why couldn't Kagome have more friends like Ayumi?"_

"Oh, we were just wondering what you'd like for your birthday! Since, you know, we're not mind-readers or anything." Eri added, pretending to be absorbed in mopping.

The taller brunette tried to quietly distance herself from them by mopping further down the hall. "I don't really want anything, and we're not exactly close; you shouldn't feel obligated to get me something."

"Hoooh? But _surely_ you must want _something_, at least from your family, right?" Yuka pressed, definitely pressing the wrong button by including the word 'family'.

Seina froze, halting completely in her mopping and half-scaring the two gutsy, nosy girls that'd been closing in on her. Eri and Yuka stared at her with uncertainty, nervous smiles plastered onto their faces.

"U-uh...Seina...chan?"

She whipped around to them with cold-burning irritation in her dark eyes. "What I _want_ is for everyone to LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Silence.

Yuka and Eri exchanged concerned, terrified looks, edging away from her quietly while the brunette continued to vigorously mop the hallway floors. She stared downward, consumed by anger and frustration.

_"They'll never understand. They don't _get_ it; all I want is for my parents to be alive. But since no one can give me that...I'd rather just not celebrate at all."_

* * *

**Kagome**

She sat in her room, caught between brooding and thinking harder than she'd had to think in a while. She'd already finished sweeping her assigned classrooms and halls for the day and the tennis club wasn't in season yet, so she didn't have to stay after as long as her cousin.

Why did Seina get mad at her? It wasn't like she insulted her or anything by asking about what she wanted for her birthday.

"Geez, she acted like I slapped her or something..." she grumbled, opening her phone when she heard it ring.

It was a text from Yuka: _'Seina-chan won't talk. I think we might've talked about something sensitive. She's mad at us too, now. Sorry Kagome-chan!'_

The ravenette groaned, letting her head fall onto her desk. This was a completely impossible task. There was a knock at her door, and before Kagome could answer, her little cousin Risa strolled right in.

"Hey Kagome-nee-san! Whatcha doing?"

Kagome turned to smile at her. She was so adorable, she couldn't help but smother Risa a little.

"Oh, Risa-chaaannn!" she squealed, jumping at her cousin to crush her in a very tight hug.

Risa's cries were muffled by Kagome's shoulder as she was squeezed like some kind of stuffed animal. "Mmmff! Agfhsa! Helph! Helph! Leh go ofh meh!"

Kagome pulled away giggling. "Sorry Risa-chan, but you're just so adorable! I can't help it~"

The little girl huffed, looking away from her with crossed arms and only proving her point. Her little cheeks puffed up as she did so. Her pretty chin-length hair framed her cuteness further.

"I'm not a doggy, Kagome-nee-san! You can't cuddle me to death!"

"Hai, hai."

Risa rolled her eyes, staring at her dead in the eyes. "You never listen; that's why Nee-chan gets mad."

"It's not like I _try_ to not understand things!" Kagome argued, pouting indignantly, "I don't even know why she got mad at me for asking what she wanted for her birthday! Understanding her is like trying to get an A in math: it's impossible."

Risa grew somber, continuing to look away from her cousin. "Oh...Nee-chan told me before we got here that she hates her birthday now, and that she just wants our parents back. But I made her a picture anyways."

Kagome stiffened, looking down at her cousin in surprise. "Really?! That's what she meant by 'intangible things'? Oh my gosh I'm the worst cousin in the world!"

The little girl tilted her head to the side, frowning. "What's 'intangible' mean?"

The ravenette shot up, only sparing her a glance. "Sorry Risa-chan, maybe another time! I've gotta go fix this!"

She proceeded to dash out of the room like a bolt of lightning, leaving little Risa sitting on her floor, befuddled. Kagome sprinted down the stairs, checked to make sure Seina wasn't home yet from her school janitorial duties, and ripped into the drawer near the downstairs TV containing a photo album.

_"What Seina meant was that she wanted something _sentimental_. All she wants is her parents back, but...maybe I can give her something timeless instead. Agh, how can I be so stupid?! She tried to tell me, too, but I was too caught up in my own fantasies and expectations to realize it!"_

After spending an hour scouring the photo album for what she needed, she quickly tucked them away and called her mom. "Hey, Mama? No, nothing's wrong, I was just wondering if I could get out of the house for a little bit to make some copies of some photos?"

She didn't trust herself with the photocopy machine, in fear of somehow damaging the original pictures. Knowing her, it'd happen if she tried it, regardless of how seemingly easy and harmless it was.

_'Well, I suppose so, as long as Seina-chan is there to watch over Risa-chan and Souta. They're not old enough to be left alone yet. What for, Kagome?'_

"Ah, well, that's...it's a surprise for Sei-chan." Kagome smiled sheepishly, hearing the front door slide open and shut.

"I'm home!" the aforementioned teen announced, soon entering the living room where the ravenette swiftly hung up the phone, turning to her with a nervous smile.

"O-oh! Seina-chan, great timing! I've gotta go out for just a little bit, so can you watch over Souta and Risa-chan for me? I'll only be gone an hour tops."

Seina frowned, evidently still in a bad mood from Yuka and Eri's prying. "Sure, I guess. But you're hiding something."

_Shoot! _

Kagome fought back a nervous laugh, fiddling with her fingers anxiously. How could Seina know her so well and she know her so little? What was different?

"Er, no, nothing really! Anyway, I've gotta run! See you in an hour!" She waved cheerfully, shutting the door behind her. When she glanced back at the last minute, she saw the strength leave Seina's eyes, the glittering in them dulling to a small glint.

For some reason, Kagome could see that there was a deep sadness inside of her cousin; one she couldn't dissipate on her own. She'd have to help her with that. A burning desire to make her cousin happy fueled her legs to pump faster as she rode her bike to the department store, where she could confidently request some photocopies be made. By the time she reached the store, her chest was heaving and burning from exertion, and her legs felt like jelly.

_"I'm going to make this a birthday she can look back on and smile. She deserves better than this, but...this'll have to do."_

She was going to have a _loonngg_ night ahead of her.

* * *

**The Next Day-Seina**

She woke up as usual, hearing the birds warbling outside her window. When she sat up, she felt the urge to scratch her left arm, rolling up her sleeve to see a red welt on her otherwise clear skin that hadn't been there yesterday.

Seina groaned, pushing herself off of her comfy mattress and layered blankets. "Oba-san really needs to get some screens installed into the windows. I'm going to die of bug bites before I can finish the semester."

"Mmhuh?" she heard her sister mumble drowsily.

"Ah, nothing. You lucky elementary schoolers get to sleep in a little, whereas I have to wake up at 6! Not fair." Seina sighed, earning a tired snicker from her younger sister.

"Hehe...too bad for you, Nee-chan. Meeeheee~"

The older Fujino sibling stared at her oddly a moment while she braided her hair into a fishtail. "I forgot how weird you get when you're tired."

"Bleeh!" Risa blew her a raspberry, smiling cheerfully at her. "Happy Birthday, Nee-chan."

Seina stiffened, hastily changing into her uniform and leggings. She grabbed her bag and started to open the door. "...get ready for school, Risa. You can only sleep in ten more minutes."

"Hai, hai," the younger girl beamed, yawning in the process.

As soon as Seina made it downstairs, she realized the room was filled with delicious aromas causing her mouth to water. It smelled like...all of her favorite breakfast dishes. Roast duck, miso soup, omurice, even coffee! She'd grown addicted to the roasted beans when she'd stayed in America for a while with her immediate family.

She stared at the prepared meal at the table, seeing Kagome, Jii-chan, Souta, and Rui-oba-san seated waiting for her.

"Ohaiyo, Seina-chan!" her aunt greeted warmly, gesturing for her to sit down and eat.

The brunette silently complied, struck silent in awe of what they'd done for her. They watched her with hope and hesitance, wishing to the gods for her to pick up her chopsticks and finally eat everything presented to her.

"...Ohaiyo, Oba-san," Seina returned, calmly picking up her chopsticks and slapping her hands together in prayer, "*Itadakimasu."

Souta slumped in defeat, deciding to stuff his face while his older cousin nibbled on every dish. Jii-chan grumbled, letting his unhappiness at his granddaughter's poor health be known to all. Mama Higurashi sighed, but continued to smile at her eldest niece.

"Seina-chan, make sure you eat as much as possible, okay? It's all of your favorite dishes, so dig in!"

The brunette returned the smile, mustering up her cheerfulness. There was much to be thankful for; she wasn't going to allow her personal sorrows to get in the way of that. "I'll do my best, Rui-oba-san."

"Good girl," Rui beamed, standing to clear off her place, "Well, I have to get to work. Kagome, don't be late for homeroom anymore! I received a call from your homeroom teacher yesterday, and he sounded _very _displeased about your tardiness. You can't afford to let it ruin your record."

The ravenette groaned, comforting herself with some more roasted duck. "Ugh, Yamanaka-sensei just hates me. I was only a minute after the bell!"

Breakfast concluded with Seina offering her sympathy in shared agony over teachers, Risa dashing down the stairs to shovel food into her mouth, and reaching the high school via bikes with ten minutes to spare. Seina apologized to Eri and Yuka with a faint embarrassed blush for her outburst the other day, though she insisted it wasn't unfounded.

Even though her somewhat crass statement appalled the two girls for a minute, they also apologized to Seina for their obtrusive prying. With that out of the way, she endured her English class, struggled through math, and pretty much the rest of her classes without having too much of a bothersome day aside from Shinichi's presence.

And, just her luck, she was stuck staying after school for janitorial duties again. This time it was just watering the flowers, but considering that they surrounded the school, it made the task a little more grueling. Fate apparently decided to sadistically toy with her today.

The final bell of the day rang. Seina almost felt like it was screaming at her to get to work already with the flowerbeds. She didn't grumble any complaints, however, because it was simply something that had to be done. A spic and span campus didn't magically happen, after all.

So she gathered up her stuff, spent almost two hours thoroughly watering the flowers surrounding the campus, and tiredly pedaled back home. Seina absently strolled through the door.

"I'm home," she called with lacking enthusiasm.

She was _so_ tired. Her mental brainpower was completely drained from school, and her feet hurt from standing for so long watering flowers. Risa clambered down the stairs, leaping into her sister's arms without warning.

"Welcome home, Nee-chan! Happy Birthdayyy~" she cried in a sing-songy voice, causing Seina to tense.

The teen forced a little smile, speaking in a stern tone. "Ah, yeah, thanks Ri-Ri. Now go upstairs and do your homework."

Risa instantly pulled away, pouting up at her with puppy eyes. "Do I _have _to, Nee-chan? Why can't we just celebrate your birthday?"

"Because schoolwork is actually important. Don't think you can get away with it by trying to distract me or use puppy eyes. It never works and never will. Now go, or else I'll drag you up there myself."

The child grumbled, stomping up the steps as quickly as she appeared. Seina grinned victoriously, nearing the staircase to rub it in her victory.

"Thanks Sis, love you~"

"Humph!" Risa huffed loudly, blowing a raspberry soon after.

Seina yawned, taking a nap until Kagome came home to try and help out with chores. Once Mama Higurashi returned, it was time to try and help make dinner. Again, it was filled with all of her favorites, as well as the traditional Japanese birthday food. With everyone gathered at the table, they dug into the feast.

Since she appreciated the lengths everyone took to make her feel so welcome, Seina did her best to clear every plate set in front of her. She didn't overdo it to the point where she puked, but she was definitely going to be moving slowly for the rest of the night. They surprised her by bringing out a birthday cake, composed of sugar-free frosting (since she didn't like anything overly sweet), fruits, and chocolate filling.

She smiled as they sang Happy Birthday to her, withholding a grimace when presents commenced.

"I really didn't want anything this year, so-"

"-Oh, you don't mean that! Besides, my present is the one you'll love the most." Jii-chan interposed, smirking proudly as he handed over a neatly wrapped box to the protesting teenager.

Seina sighed, carefully unwrapping the present. Inside was a little silk pouch, colored a cream yellow and embroidered with golden kanji and gold and pale pink flowers. "Oh wow, thanks Jii-chan. For once it isn't some kind of preserved animal part."

"Oi! Those have as many spiritual properties as that *Omamori does!"

"Hai, hai."

The brunette smiled a little as her grandfather huffed indignantly, discovering the other two Omamori inside the box: one for avoidance of evil and the other for open luck and better fortune. The first one she received was for the safety of her family, as well as peace and prosperity in the household.

"I'm grateful, Jii-chan, I swear. It's an awesome present!"

"Of course it is!"

"Oookay, moving on," Seina drawled with a slight roll of her eyes, "I think I'll pick...this one."

It was a light blue envelope decorated with pale pink sakura petals. She liked and appreciated the design, given she was an artist herself. The writing was that of a child's, and since Souta didn't have the best taste in cards and envelopes, she guessed it was from her sister.

"Now who could this be from?"

"Me! Me! Me!" Risa exclaimed, shooting a hand up in the air and bouncing in her seat.

Seina chuckled as she opened the envelope. She discovered it was a drawing of her and the rest of the family in bright colors outside of their old shrine. The brunette thanked her little sister for the gift, reaching over the table to ruffle her short hair much to her displeasure.

Souta's gift was a soccer ball, since he remembered she enjoyed the sport. Mama Higurashi gave her hair ribbons and a necklace, stating that even though she didn't care for her appearance, she might come to appreciate some feminine accessories. Lastly was Kagome, who smiled nervously at her waiting cousin that loathed her birthday and especially presents.

"Um, Seina-chan..."

The brunette glanced over at her cousin, who chewed her bottom lip anxiously. She lifted an eyebrow, evidently still a little peeved at her.

"Yes?"

"Here." The ravenette said, handing her a rectangular, wrapped item.

"Uh, thanks." Seina told her gruffly, feeling embarrassed about having yet another present.

"I know you said you didn't want anything, that what you wanted was something more intangible that I can't give you, but...I...I wanted to give this to you. It's nothing forgettable, I promise. It's-ah, just open it."

Puzzled, she tore away the light red wrapping paper. She inhaled sharply, her eyes widening in surprise.

In her long fingers was a simple picture frame with a quote from her mother and father engraved in the wood containing a picture.

It was a family picture of her mother, father, sister, herself, and Kagome's family. She looked about ten in the picture, hugging Kagome tightly as she laughed merrily. Her cheeks were flushed red out of excitement, while her mother stood beside Rui with linked arms.

Her father stood on the other side of her mother with one of his strong arms wrapped around her shoulders, pressing a kiss to her cheek as she grinned. Jii-chan gazed at them fondly from the other side of the picture, his hands resting on the shoulders of a tiny Risa and Souta.

Everyone looked so happy. So incredibly happy, and in front of her old shrine. Seina could see a couple of the Wisteria trees in the background, a breeze blowing petals into the picture. Her heart throbbed at the sight, yearning for the normalcy of those past days again.

_'Oh Kami...I...I never thought...'_

She never thought she'd ever have a picture of her parents again. The ones from her house never survived the fire. In the end they became another part of the dusty ashes coating the area before the fire department cleaned it up.

Seina had been so worried she'd forget their faces; that they'd become another vague haze of her distant memories. Now she wouldn't, all thanks to Kagome. Who would've guessed?

"...Sei-chan?" Kagome murmured hesitantly.

Risa peered at her sister's face, gasping before hugging her tightly. "Don't cry, Nee-chan! Don't cry!"

"What? I'm not crying."

"Yeah you are! I see it!" the little girl protested, her adorable voice muffled by her sister's shoulder.

Seina gingerly touched her face, surprised when it came away wet from her tears. She hadn't even realized she'd started crying.

Everyone was hovering around her in concern, fretting over her state. But all she could see was Kagome, right in front of her, asking if she was alright.

Suddenly she felt so guilty and thankful and sad all at once. It was an overwhelming tumult of emotions that spurred her to throw her arms around her cousin with the picture still in hand. Kagome stood in shock, slowly returning the embrace as Seina sobbed.

"Thank you," she whispered, her voice quivering, "and I'm sorry..."

Kagome was beyond astonished to feel her taller form tremble against her as she bawled.

"I'm so, so sorry...thank you, thank you so much!"

A smile quirked the raventte's lips upward. "You're welcome, Sei-chan. And it's okay, I already forgave you."

The Higurashi family watched with tender smiles, touched by the spectacle. Jii-chan teared up a little like a baby. Souta and Risa exchanged elated, relieved smiles.

Mama Higurashi smiled her loving, motherly smile, gazing at the two with adoration. She gazed up at the ceiling, imagining the heavens beyond.

_'Do you see this, Narumi? Your daughter's most treasured gift is an old photo of all of us. She doesn't just miss you and Yoichi; she misses all of us together. This girl...I know she will become an amazing young woman. She has too much love and strength not to.' _

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the LONG wait! As always, favorite, review, and follow! They make my day!**


	5. Down the Rabbit Hole

**As Strong As Wisteria**

**Chapter 5: Down the Rabbit Hole**

**Disclaimer: As usual, I don't own anything but this fanfic and my OCs. **

**A/N: Please favorite, follow, and review! I'd love to hear from you guys, and they make my day! I'd love to know if there's anything I can improve on, and if any of you wanna do some fan art, I'd be happy to see it! Maybe one will even become my cover art (with your permission, of course)!**

**Also, many warm thank you's to Xxser3ndipityxX and a guest for your amazing, valued reviews! It really compelled me to continue writing this fanfic and try to update it more frequently.**

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**November 13th**

Seina started to change after that unforgettable birthday. She and Kagome were on good terms since then, and the brunette took it upon herself to improve Kagome's study habits.

It was as if she had short-term memory loss or something, considering as soon as she left the room to "ask for help", she strolled back in half an hour later getting off the phone with one of her friends, completely forgetting to get said help. If this kept up, Seina doubted she'd be able to pass all of her classes with a sufficient grade point average.

But, thanks to her efforts and no-nonsense attitude, Kagome was slowly but steadily improving. Kagome was-admittedly-a hard worker when she wanted to be. It was just she tended to protest a lot.

Seina, on the other hand, was working her butt off to prevent her grades from dropping to F's and C's in contemporary society, math, home ec, and choir, thanks to the efforts of both herself and Ayumi. She really was a sweet girl, and very intelligent. She and Seina got to know each other quite well due to their frequent study and tutoring sessions, and the brunette considered her a close friend now.

She'd started to smile and eat more, too. Granted, she was still unhealthy and should probably do yoga or workouts or something to relieve her mounting stress, but she didn't have the time. Which was another issue in itself.

She did, however, perform her own little routines every day. Sit ups, push ups, pull-ups, and her martial arts moves kept her busy after she completed all of her homework. Plus, she quit the drawing club she'd been in to join the martial arts club in an effort to get more of a workout. They definitely knew what they were doing, and every time she returned from the club she'd shower and pass out on her bed.

Nonetheless, tomorrow Seina would forget ALL of that, and focus solely on celebrating her cousin's fifteenth birthday. She'd already ventured out to various little shops with Kagome's favorite items according to her Oba-san Rui, paying for them with her own hard-earned money. Sure, it'd been a while since they were reunited and from then on her cousin's sparkling personality overwhelmed her, but she still loved the ravenette.

Alas, she made the mistake of indulging in her long-abated happiness resulting from her healing in the Higurashi household.

Unbeknownst to her, her life was about to get _much_ worse.

"A sacred jewel?" Her cousin inquired, dangling a keychain with a cute lavender ball at the end.

"Yes!" Jii-chan grunted proudly. "This jewel will bring happiness and prosperity without fail!"

"You're _selling_ this marble thing? Keychain charms are out of style!" Kagome frowned, earning a subtle eye-roll from Seina.

She quickly discovered that the ravenette preferred to stay up-to-date with the latest trends, fads, and fashions. Sometimes it caused vanity issues, but Seina never found it to be a major problem.

"I think they're cute and cool. I mean, it's supposed to be a _sacred_ jewel. If people are already so invested in normal jewels, then a sacred one sounds even better." Seina declared, smiling at the dark blue one between her fingers.

"Seina's right, Kagome! It's no ordinary keychain! The ball at the end is the Sacred Jewel...This shrine's...Huh?" Jii-chain grumbled, pausing when he noticed Kagome turned the keychain into a play toy for Buyo.

"Hm?" she hummed, earning a quiet sigh from her cousin.

Seina was trying so, so hard to not act as condescending or snappy toward Kagome. After the touching birthday present and an earnest apology from her cousin about her inconsideration and lack of tact, she wanted to treat Kagome better than she had been.

_"Of course, she could show a little more respect, at least to her elders..."_

Jii-chan glared at the ravenette for a moment before dramatically clearing his throat. "Now heed this, Kagome. You too, Seina. The origin of this shrine's Sacred Jewel..."

Once again, Kagome didn't bother listening to his ramblings and proceeded to taunt Buyo with the keychain, eventually causing the overweight feline to tip over his legs onto the floor. Seina, on the other hand, leaned in closer, intrigued by the mysterious history of the Sacred Jewel.

"The origin of this shrine's Sacred Jewel is..."

"Hey Jii-chan! Remember what day tomorrow is?" Kagome asked excitedly, already forgetting about the jewel.

Seina grumbled quietly, miffed she wouldn't learn about the Sacred Jewel's origins. Oh well, she could always ask another time, she supposed.

He chuckled, dropping the keychain. "Oh, how could I forget my dear granddaughter's birthday?"

Kagome jumped to attention, giggling happily. "A present for me?!"

Seina did her best to stifle the bubbling cackles in her throat when Kagome pulled out a mummified lizard hand from a box. She stared at it in shock, perhaps with a hint of disbelief as well. Leave it to Jii-chan to really go original on presents.

"The mummified hand of a water imp is sure to bring happiness. In fact, the origin of that is..."

Kagome handed the lizard appendage to the already fat cat. "Have a snack, Buyo."

He eagerly accepted, sauntering away with the supposed imp hand in his jaws. Unable to hold it in anymore, Seina busted out laughing at the scenario, causing Kagome to laugh with her while Jii-chan focused on trying to get the hand back.

It was weird to genuinely laugh again. She felt sort of..._guilty_ about it. As if it was wrong to laugh when her parents weren't there to laugh with her. Seina was tired of pitying herself, but at the same time she had an urge to return to her toxic cycle of depression and mourning.

Maybe she was scared that, even with her memories and the picture, if she decided to move on she'd forget them completely; that she'd forget their sacrifice.

Seina shook her head, freeing herself from the dark corners of her mind. There was much to be happy about right now, and she'd be damned if she didn't let herself lighten up a little.

"Why is it that you got an awesome present from Jii-chan and I get a mummified water imp hand?" the ravenette questioned, still giggling a bit.

"Two reasons: One, because I am actually intrigued by about half of his origin stories. Two, luck of the draw. Don't you remember those weird horns he gave me last year? He said they'd bring good fortune or something. I ended up pawning them off to some of my friends. Do not ask me what they used them for. I never asked, and I was never told."

They chuckled amongst themselves until Risa barged into the room, tackling Kagome into a tight hug and wishing her a happy birthday. She laughed once more, hugging her little cousin back just as tightly and thanking her for her consideration.

There. Right there, in that moment, Seina felt like she was part of a family again.

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**The Next Morning, November 14th**

Today was the day: Kagome was turning fifteen. Seina gazed at herself in her vanity mirror, chewing on her lower lip. She fiddled with the wrapped presents in her hands before placing them back down onto her desk.

_"I will give them to her after school, at home." _she thought, nodding to herself.

So why did she suddenly feel sick to her stomach? Placing a hand on her stomach, Seina's lips upturned into a pained frown. _"It's just nerves. Just relax and forget about the presents for now. Why are you even nervous on your cousin's birthday, anyways?"_

She shook her hands out, trying to rid herself of the tingling sensation she often got when she felt nervous. Instead, she forced a smile in the mirror and noted how her complexion didn't look as sickly. It was at least something about herself she could smile about presently.

For some reason, she just had a really bad feeling about today. She wished she didn't, but...something didn't feel right. Seina seriously hoped the sudden nausea was only due to nerves and not something more serious.

The brunette heard her aunt call out to Kagome, something about a phone call. She heard her naturally loud cousin agree to bring review notes, something the ravenette had help with from the slightly older teen.

There were times when Seina really didn't want to help her, either due to wanting some alone time, feeling annoyed with her, or due to random pangs of jealousy. Kagome was, after all, very pretty and sexy. Seina was well-proportioned and slightly taller by a few inches (though her legs did seem a little longer), but she wasn't as..._endowed_ as her fair cousin. Nor as curvy.

However, that never prevented her from helping Kagome. She wouldn't be able to live with herself if she fell so low to such petty feelings.

Today she felt a bit of that jealousy bubbling inside of her whilst observing the ever exuberant and beaming Kagome at the table, with both herself and the birthday girl shoveling food into their mouths in an effort to make it to school a little earlier. But she forced it down, feeling ashamed.

Then they were out the door, dressed in their uniforms. Seina felt colder than usual, so she'd wrapped a woolly red scarf around her neck. She'd worn it the night of the fire, but she'd washed it so many times that the color was a bit faded and smelled heavily of laundry detergent instead of smoke.

The air was indeed on the chilly side, but the sun greeted her pale face as the birds warbled their morning songs. It was refreshing and surprisingly normal, which Seina eagerly embraced.

"We're off!" she called out, rushing out the door with Kagome in tow.

They were making their way across the property when a familiar small figure came into view.

"Sota? What is wrong?" Seina asked, slowing to a stop.

"Ah, Seina-nee-chan..." he replied, evidently distraught.

She tried not to feel too happy about the fact he called her the endearment meaning 'older sister', frowning that he was at the entrance to the Honekui no Ido (the Bone Eater's Well).

"I do not think you're supposed to be playing around he-"

Kagome, not looking where she was going, rammed right into her, sending the two of them to the ground. Sota jumped in surprise as Seina and Kagome groaned in pain.

"Oww...what the heck, 'Gome?! Do you not have eyes?" the taller girl asked sarcastically, nursing her poor ribs that took most of the impact.

"Ugh, sorry...I didn't mean to...I got distracted!" Kagome defended, also still recovering from the fall.

Seina was the first to get to her feet, smiling and waving away Sota's concerned questions. "So what's up, little cousin?"

She noticed the bowl of cat food in one hand with a half-eaten fish, already drawing her own conclusion.

"Is it Buyo?"

He nodded, pouting as he gazed into the little building housing the Honekui no Ido. Seina glanced inside, barely able to see anything due to the darkness of the interior. That was the problem with living in a shrine: hardly any artificial lighting.

"Are you certain he's in here?"

Sota shrugged. Sighing, the teen girl ventured into the darkness of the Honekui no Ido with Kagome right behind her.

"Buyo!" the ravenette called, her high-pitched voice in the heavy silence of the little building causing Seina to flinch.

She and Sota joined in calling the overweight cat no avail. The little boy frowned, on his knees in order to get a different perspective of the room.

"I think he's at the bottom."

"Well we're about to find out if he is." Seina remarked, already starting to descend the creaking wooden stairs.

Kagome crouched beside her little brother, cupping her face with one hand. "Why don't you go down?"

"This place gives me the creeps." he shivered, staring after Seina hopelessly.

"Such a scaredy cat! Be a man!" Kagome shot back.

"Kagome, give him a break. He's just a kid," the brunette already approaching the well scolded.

Seina nearly screamed when she heard something..._scratching_ at the wood boarding up the well. _From the inside_.

Her heart pounded wildly inside her chest, like a rhythmic drum. She felt the ice traveling throughout her bloodstream, turning her hands cold and clammy.

Sota shot up in an instant, cowering behind his sister. "Something's _down_ there! Seina, get back up here!"

"Yeah, the cat!" the ravenette snapped, getting to her feet. "Geez..."

As she descended, Seina tried to push her back.

"Wha-Seina-chan, what's wrong?!"

"Th-that sound...it's coming from _inside_ the well!" she whispered harshly as chills traveled down Kagome's spine.

When she saw she was right, she started to become just as scared. Something then brushed against her leg, making her squeal.

"Buyo!" Sota exclaimed after falling onto his rear from his sister's squealing.

The cat purred against the teen's leg happily, and Seina proceeded to pick him up. Sota released a breath of relief.

"Ah, you scared me! Don't scream so loud, Onee-chan!"

She whipped around to face him, huffing indignantly. "Watch it! I'm down here 'cause you're scared!"

"Pfft, you didn't even scream; you squealed." Seina snickered, earning a glare.

Too distracted by each other and Sota, the girls didn't notice that the scratching continued, and the seal broke on the well.

"N-Nee-chan! Seina-nee-chan!" the boy called, but it was too late.

The well burst open, with numerous white appendages wriggling out from the interior. They latched onto Kagome, who was taken off-guard. Seina gasped, acting on instinct as she dropped Buyo and instead latched onto her cousin.

She pulled with all her might, and started attacking the appendages. They tried to bat her away to no avail. When that didn't work, she kept an iron grip on Kagome.

"Kagome! Fight it, you idiot!" she called, hoping enraging her cousin would cause her to come to her senses.

Realizing the situation she was in, Kagome snapped out of her daze. She struggled against her mysterious captor, trying to break free. When she found she wasn't strong enough, she bit back tears.

"Come on, you can do it! I know you can!" Seina yelled, with one hand wrapped around her ankle and the other swatting away the appendages.

"I can't! I'm not strong enough!" the ravenette cried, until her cousin's strength gave out.

Seina was lifted off the ground and into the well with Kagome, screaming bloody murder as she went. She felt like Alice when she fell down the hole.

The only thought in her head was: _"What the hell?!"_ as they descended, out of the modern day world.

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**A/N: Sorry that this chapter's a little short! I'm already working on the next one, so hopefully I'll be able to update sooner than you think! Thanks for reading, and again, don't forget to review, favorite, and follow!**


	6. The Trouble with Time Travel

**As Strong As Wisteria**

**Chapter 6: The Trouble with Time Travel**

**Disclaimer: I don't known Inuyasha, but I DO own this fanfic! **

**A/N: Thank you all for deciding to stick with me and this story! Thank you so much and as always, enjoy! Don't forget to favorite, follow, and review! Thanks again to Xxser3ndipityxX for offering to possibly draw Seina in your spare time! If anyone else wants to draw some fan art, go on ahead and let me know; I'd love to see it!**

**Terms:**

**Hitatare=a traditional Japanese outfit for males. You can look up pictures of them.**

**Han-juban=male traditional Japanese undergarments**

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**Inside the Well**

Instead of seeing the typical surrounding wood of the Honekui no Ido, they were slowly floating down what felt like an endless pit. There was no wood, only a beautiful cosmic-like space.

She would've admired it if it wasn't for the _demon_ turning Kagome's face towards her. The demon was female in appearance, though there were only the whites of her eyes and she had two extra sets of arms with long, jet-black hair.

The demon also didn't wear any clothes, exposing her upper torso. The bottom-half of her was a bug-like tail trailing off into a thin, white material. It was like she wasn't whole.

They drifted down, with Seina trying not to panic at encountering her first demon. All of a sudden, it was like all of her miko training she'd had for almost her entire life under her father vanished from her mind. She watched helplessly as it held onto Kagome, seeming to gain strength from her.

"Such joy! I can feel my strength returning! My body is coming to life again!"

The wispy whiteness at the end of her broken tail turned into a skeletal structure, which was then covered by its outer layers. It looked like part of a centipede, causing Seina to shiver.

Kagome snapped out of her second spell, struggling against the demon's tight grip.

"You have it, don't you? Don't you?!" the demon murmured, opening her mouth to stick out an unnaturally long, pink tongue.

It didn't seem like she'd noticed Seina hitched a ride, clutching tightly to Kagome's legs. She stifled a noise of disgust as the tongue licked Kagome's face, as if to taste her power that apparently regenerated her body.

_'What should I do? I do not know what to do! I don't have any sutras or anything from the shrine on me! I...I am frozen in fear right now...Kagome-chan...what should I do?' _she thought despairingly, her grip on the ravenette's legs tightening.

Kagome didn't appreciate the tongue, either, and screamed loudly. "Let me go! You're disgusting!"

She managed to break free of the demon's grasps, pushing her away with a hand on her face. "I said, let me go!"

A bright, purple light burst from her hand, seemingly effective against the girls' adversary. One of its arms grabbed Kagome's sleeve, getting ripped off by Kagome's sudden powers.

The demon floated away from them as Kagome gaped in horror at the arm, and Seina gasped. She felt _sick_. She wanted to throw up!

_'By Kami...how is any of this possible?! That's it, then. Kagome and I are going to die in this weird, magical space in the well with a demon. What're the odds?' _she thought, trying to block out the demon's voice swearing they wouldn't escape from it.

"The Shikon no Tama!"

That caught Seina's attention. _'The Shikon no Tama? As in...the Shikon no Tama Jii-chan was talking about yesterday? What in the freaking hell!'_

"The...Shikon no Tama?" her cousin repeated, sounding as if she were in a daze.

Seina's eyes traveled to Kagome's body, which glowed with an unearthly lavender light. The same light that pushed the demon away. Squinting, she caught sight of what looked like an orb just beneath her rib cage.

She shook her head, her grip loosening as they continued to float down. Kagome landed on all fours on the bottom of the well, while Seina stood on shaky legs. She stumbled over to the side, bracing herself against it.

The glow long since faded from her cousin's body, but Seina knew what she saw. No, there was no way any of this was real!

Finally, the bile she'd been holding back pushed its way out of her mouth as she vomited near one of the well's walls, emptying out her delicious breakfast from just moments ago.

Fumbling around in her bag, Seina came across her last tissue to wipe away the lingering traces of vomit, as well as a breath mint to rid herself of its disgusting flavor.

_'This can't _really_ be happening. I probably hit my head or something and went unconscious, and this is all a freaky dream created by my subconscious! The Shikon no Tama isn't real, and it's _definitely_ not in Kagome's body! This is insane, I'm probably just lucid dreaming! Yeah, that's it! That's all it_ _is!'_

When she convinced herself it was all simply a crazy lucid dream conjured by her subconscious, Seina managed to calm herself down. It was all a dream, so why freak out? Just enjoy it and go with the flow. No need to freak out like usual.

The brunette glanced over at her cousin, who was breathing hard and working up a nervous sweat. "You okay, 'Gome-chan?"

Damn it, her voice was still shaky.

"U-uh huh...j-just give me a moment..." her cousin stuttered, sitting on her knees to feel her heartbeat with one of her palms, wiping the sweat off her brow using the back of her other hand. "Are we, um...i-inside the well?"

Seina glanced around, recognizing the interior of the Honekui no Ido. "Yeah, I...I think so."

"Did that really just happen? That didn't just happen, right? It was all just a big hallucination, right?" Kagome asked fervently, her brown eyes big and wide with panic.

The brunette braced against the wall slowly made her way over to her on trembling legs, kneeling in front of her to grip her shoulders gently. "Kagome, calm down."

"How can I calm down?! We just might've gotten sucked into the well by a _demon_, Seina-chan!"

"Do you really think I want to believe it either?! Either we are both going insane or this is all some crazy, lucid dream! If this is real, there is a very _big_ possibility we could DIE!" Seina snapped, beginning to lose her calm and patience. She inhaled unsteadily, suddenly catching a limp shape out of her eyes. "Oh no..."

"What? Seina-chan, what is it?"

It felt like bile was building up in the back of her throat. Behind Kagome was the ripped-off arm of the demon. Her fingers turned to ice, clenching her cousin's shoulders tighter.

"O-ow! Sei-chan, that hurts!" she cried, causing Seina to jump back.

"Sorry, sorry..."

Her hands came to hold her head as she tried to not lose her mind. _'Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, OH MY GOSH! Are we going to die by a demon?! Please, please tell me this isn't real!'_

Seina collapsed on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably as Kagome glanced back to see the detached arm of the demon. Her face paled, realizing their circumstances. She drew closer to her bawling cousin, patting her back soothingly.

"Hey, Sei-chan, I know this is freaky, but we need to get out of here! It's better than staying at the bottom of this well, right? I don't want to be around..._that_ more than I have to."

She stood, looking up at the opening of the well. "Sota! Are you there? Get Jii-chan!"

Silence greeted her.

Seina paused in her crying, sniffling as she glanced at her. _'How can I be the one losing it right now? Kagome of all people is acting calm, reasonable, and collected! Some cousin_ I_ am...I'm just sitting here, useless, crying my eyes out. I thought I was done crying.'_

She felt her deep-seeded self-loathing rise to the surface, biting back the sob in her throat. Seina wiped the tears from her face and sniffled again, taking a moment to calm down and clear her mind. At least she still had her backpack on her. If it came down to it, they could use her school supplies as survival material.

And while she'd never seen the interior of the Honekui no Ido until today, she could've sworn that when they first got sucked in, there weren't vines growing on the walls.

_'When did these get here?' _she wondered, wandering over to them.

Grabbing a few, she tugged on them to test if they were sturdy. So far, so good. Seina began climbing up the vines a little, stopping to see if they'd support her weight. It wasn't like she was very heavy, considering how poorly she cared for herself.

She'd just gotten more fat and muscle back on her bones, thanks to her increasing desire to eat more and for her recent work outs. Climbing up the vines, however, was still a bit of a struggle. Especially with the added weight of her backpack.

"Kagome, climb up after me, okay? I'm not sure if these vines will support both of our weights."

"Wha-but Seina-chan!" she protested, uncertain about the vines.

"Look, I don't want to believe we randomly transported to a different area, but these vines weren't here before. The well was sealed shut: vines shouldn't be able to grow in here. Sota and Jii-chan won't be coming for us, so it's up to us to get ourselves out of this mess and see where we are."

She was proud to hear herself sounding so logical and collected. It was more like her usual self, even though she was still panicking internally.

A butterfly greeted her face, gracefully flying in the air.

_'What? A butterfly? It's possible it came from outside the shrine, but...this isn't the usual kind of butterfly that I see, at least.'_

Seina decided to keep the knowledge of the butterfly to herself. Kagome would just dismiss it as stupid, anyways. Maybe it was; maybe she was just acting paranoid.

When she finally made it out of the well, she nearly fell off in shock. This wasn't the shrine anymore; nowhere even _close_. The air hit her first.

Of all things to notice, aside from the fact it appeared she and Kagome were transported far from civilization judging by the dense foliage and the mountains in the distance, she noticed the air first. Trees surrounded her as butterflies fluttered nearby.

But the _air_. It smelled so sweet and fresh, so unlike the smoggy fogs of Tokyo and even in Kitakyushu. The change hit her senses instantly, a painful reminder she was nowhere near home.

"Where...are we?" she heard herself murmur, feeling oddly detached from her body.

Well, her heart was racing, she felt like barfing, and her nerves were shot, so by conclusion she was probably in shock. It was amazing her brain still functioned normally. She thanked her mom for putting her through all of those medical lessons and simulations. Tokyo she knew, if it was even still Tokyo. Were they even in Japan anymore?!

_'Deep breaths, Seina, deep breaths. You've already had your freak-out, now it's time to find a way home! Kagome needs you!'_ she encouraged mentally, inhaling deeply as she moved away from the well.

"Seina-chan? Have you found Sota or Jii-Chan yet?" the ravenette queried, her head of wild dark hair popping up from the top of the Honekui no Ido.

Seina helped her out, shaking her head. "Kagome...I don't think anyone we know is anywhere near here."

"What? But we were just-" her cousin protested, gaping at the change in scenery. "Jii-chan?! Mama! Jii-Chan! Mama!"

"Kagome-"

"Sota! Buyo..."

"Kagome!" Seina snapped, grabbing her by the arms and forcing her to lock eyes. "Wherever we are, it is not the Sunset Shrine. The shrine is nowhere near here; look around you!"

Hesitantly, the Higurashi girl glanced at her surroundings, despair filling her brown eyes that were pricked with tears.

"S-Seina-chan..."

"Hey, hey. I already had a meltdown, don't you start. There is a chance we are still in Japan, at least. Whatever that demon did, we're going to survive, okay? Let's try looking around for familiar landmarks. _Do not_ forget where the well is, understand?"

Kagome nodded, silently letting the tears roll down her face as Seina led the way. They crept quietly on Seina's orders, not wanting to be found by anything or anyone else. Wordlessly they ventured farther away from the well, until the taller girl stopped abruptly.

Again not looking where she was going, Kagome accidentally bumped into her lower back.

"Oof! Sei-chan, what-"

"I can't believe it," she whispered back, reminding Kagome she needed to be as quiet as possible.

Annoyance twisted the ravenette's lips into a frown. "What? What is it?"

Seina stepped aside, pointing at something ahead. Kagome followed with her eyes, gasping when she realized what it was: the Goshinboku (Sacred Tree).

"We are apparently still in Tokyo, before it was known as Tokyo. I...I do not really understand what's happening, but...if the Goshinboku is still here, then-"

"Then we're closer to home than we thought! Come on!" Kagome exclaimed, sprinting forward towards the only familiar landmark aside from the Honekui no Ido.

Seina bit back a remark as she chased after her reckless cousin. "Kagome, wait! We don't know what is around here! What if there is another demon or..."

The words died in her throat when a boy around her and Kagome's age came into view, pinned to the Goshinboku by an arrow right through his chest. It seemed like a long time since then, considering there were vines growing all over his body.

His appearance was strange. He had long, white hair and wore traditional Japanese clothing, specifically a bright red hitatare with an off-white hanjuban underneath. He wore no shoes, and were those...ears?!

_'He looks like he's sleeping, but...this is too strange. He is obviously a demon, whether half or full, I cannot tell. And-please have someone tell me I am not watching my cousin carelessly approach this possibly dangerous stranger!' _Seina thought in horror as she witnessed Kagome thoughtlessly head toward the apparent demon, asking what he was doing and grabbing his ears.

"O-Oi! Kagome, don't do that!"

Her cousin flushed red, turning to face her. "Hey! It's not like he's awake or stopping me!"

"You...! Ugh, give me a moment..." the brunette sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose in exasperation.

_Patience_.

It was one of her few virtues, not to be lost by her cousin's stupidity.

"Okay. Do not just go grabbing his _ears_! Isn't it obvious he is a demon?" she marched over to the stranger, pointing at his clawed fingers and feet. "He has _claws_ for nails, 'Gome! He has pure white hair, _dog ears_, and does not even wear shoes! What does that tell you?"

Kagome answered reluctantly. "Well, I just thought...he grew up...harshly?"

A loud slap could be heard as Seina face-palmed. "No. He is a demon, Kagome. Don't you find it strange an arrow is sticking out of him in a fatal spot on the body, yet he is not deteriorating?"

"Yeah, but...I just thought he was unconscious or something."

"No. That is not possible, judging by the thick vines that grew all over his body. It's been some time since he got pinned to the Goshinboku by that arrow. And, if I recall correctly, I should be able to..." Seina trailed off, nearing the arrow tip to touch it lightly, "...mmhm, I feel it. This is a Sacred Arrow, used for purifying or sealing demons."

"W-What?!" the ravenette beside her exclaimed, peering closer at the arrow. "Seriously?"

"Yes. My father taught me well in the ways of the miko, and there is not just one kind. A miko can use multiple different kinds of objects to do their jobs, from arrows to bells to, well, even swords if their spiritual power is strong enough. And some are unique, like my ancestors. Supposedly, they utilized Shikigami to purify and seal demons. Some even expanded beyond that. But...I never figured any of it was real..."

Kagome's face lit up in wonder. "Wow. You're so knowledgeable, Sei-chan! Why are you struggling so much in your history class if you know all this stuff?"

Seina's lips stretched thin in a bitter smile. "Because it is about current world problems. I love learning about history, but current history? I can hear about it on the news, I don't need to learn about it in class. Besides, most of our current problems stem from humans, anyway. I do not see the point."

"Oh. So it's just because you don't care about it? What about choir and math?"

Her face fell. "I'm just...naturally bad at those. And cooking. It is why I am so thankful Ayumi agreed to tutor me. She is my _lifesaver_. I'm close to maintaining B's! Uh, anyways, we can talk about grades later. Let's focus on getting back home."

Kagome turned serious, which Seina would've deemed impossible if it weren't for their impossible circumstances. "Right. So...is there any chance we can ask him for help?"

Seina felt her eye twitch. "No, because if he is sealed then he cannot exactly reply back. And if he got sealed like this, there's a reason for it. Most demons are not exactly nice."

"You there! What're you up to?!" a deep, unfamiliar voice yelled.

Seina jumped as Kagome nearly fell off of the vine she was standing on, spotting several men armed with bows and arrows. Judging from their clothing, they weren't from a modern place. More traditional Japanese clothes and topknots.

Their arrows cut through the air, one nearly stabbing Seina as she screamed, latching onto the strange demon boy. Kagome did the same, squeaking in the process.

_'I can't take much more of this!' _Seina thought tearfully, finding it wiser to comply with the unknown men than take her chances running through strange territory.

When Kagome began to struggled against the men tying them up, she locked eyes with her, shaking her head fiercely. Her cousin ceased struggling, and they were carried back to the nearby village.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry! I meant for it to be longer but I wanted to cut off here so it doesn't get TOO long. Don't worry, I'm already working on the next chapter! Again, if you liked this chapter, let me know by favorites, follows, and reviews! Ja ne!**


	7. Return of the Mistress Centipede

**As Strong As Wisteria**

**Chapter 7: Return of the Mistress Centipede**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own Inuyasha, only my fanfic and OC Seina as well as her immediate family.**

**Geta=Traditional Japanese sandals, AKA those blocky wooden sandals.**

**A/N: Another chapter done! I think Thursdays will work for the update deadline. A huge thank you to Xxser3ndipityxX and Volpiko for your reviews! They compel me to write more! And thank you to everyone who favorited/followed this story! As always, if you like this story and wish to read more, favorite, follow, and review! If you have any thoughts on the chapters especially, PLEASE review! I love to get feedback from you guys and to receive constructive criticism.**

* * *

**Kaede's Village**

_'Wherever we are, it is not modern Japan, I know that for a fact now.' _Seina thought, sitting as dignified as she could beside Kagome and tied up on a straw mat in the middle of the village.

All of its residents had amassed to stare at the two strangely dressed young women. They all wore traditional, cheap Japanese clothing, even wearing the geta she always saw Jii-chan and her father wearing. Or rather, _used to see_, in the case of the latter.

"Hey! Why are we tied up?!" Kagome cried indignantly, evidently offended.

Seina looked at her sharply. "Kagome, stop talking."

The villagers were already gossiping about them; better not to make things worse by agitating them. One mentioned something about another war happening, and the rice-planting season, from what she could overhear.

"But-"

"Shh!"

Regardless of how peeved Kagome was, she still clamped her mouth shut. Thank _goodness_.

Seina quietly listened into the passing conversations, trying to get an idea of at least what time period they were in. Wars happened quite frequently in the past, so that helped nothing. But to be in such a small village, with limited resources and worrying about rice planting seasons, armed with old spears and bows and arrows? Maybe...nah, it couldn't be.

Honestly, she was surprised they hadn't thrown away all the stuff from her bag yet. It'd gotten taken away and searched, but while they were baffled by what they found, they hadn't rudely used any of it. She did lament the fact they took her scarf from her too, though. The only familiarity she could take comfort in was her school uniform she didn't like, and her cousin beside her.

"Make way for High Priestess Kaede!"

Seina perked up at the announcement, staring at an old woman using a bow as a cane walking towards them. A black eye-patch covered her right eye, and she wore the traditional miko attire consisting of a white haori and a red hakama.

_'I hope my hunch is wrong...and we are not in the Feudal Era or even further into the past,' _she thought in dread, _'and I really hope this old lady Kaede is just senile!'_

Kaede stopped in front of them, holding a bag. She handed off her bow, reaching into the bag to throw handfuls of purification salt at both of them.

"Hey! What're you doing?!" Kagome snapped, earning a jab from Seina's elbow.

"We mean you no harm!" the brunette declared, spitting out some of the salt that got into her mouth.

"Huh? They told me a couple of demons were found in the Inuyasha Forest. I thought some ritual purification was in order." Kaede replied, puzzled by the two outsiders.

_'Inuyasha...Forest? Is that its name? Why? Is Inuyasha the name of the demon sealed to the Goshinboku? That would make sense...but why is he so important? What did he do?' _Seina wondered, trying to distract herself from the troubling situation she was in.

"Then could they be foreign spies?" the man holding Kaede's bow suggested.

The old woman eyed him skeptically. "Yes, but to spy on what?! We can barely feed ourselves in this village."

She paused, staring intensely at Kagome's face. The ravenette gazed back in innocent confusion.

"You there. Let me take a good look at your face," Kaede demanded, grabbing Kagome's face to inspect it, "Look clever, girl!"

The teen glared at her for her rude comment, irritated by the lack of manners. Seina sent her a warning look, making sure she didn't try anything. After a moment, the old miko released Kagome's face.

"Such a likeness...to my sister Kikyo."

"Huh?" Kagome grumbled inquisitively, thoroughly confused.

But the focus was no longer on her.

The miko's aged eye swiveled to Seina, who tensed and tried to look as passive and calm as possible. If she managed to pull off the whole "I'm chill and nothing can faze me" act, she was sure Kaede would listen to her. At least she'd contrast with Kagome's apparent natural expression of incompetence.

Of course, her terrified shivering didn't really help in that regard. Nor did the fact she didn't trust herself to speak without squeaking. How the heck was Kagome so normal during all of this?! Was something wrong with her, or her cousin? Or perhaps both of them?

"Well, while I might have a theory as to the explanation of one girl, you still remain a mystery to me."

The brunette swallowed thickly, taking a couple of deep breaths before replying. Her heart felt like it was going to explode, and she was beyond exhausted from the excitement with the demon earlier as well as the shock she went through afterwards.

"M-my name is Seina," she winced at her stuttering, though pressed on with her introduction, "and I am Kagome's cousin. I-I mean...well, the girl you think looks so much like your sister. Her...name...is Kagome..."

_'Oh Kami, just kill me now! I am always praising myself for being the smarter one, and here I am stuttering all over the place! Ugh! This is a sign, Seina: don't _ever_ feel proud about anything!' _She mentally admonished, wanting to face-palm herself if she wasn't tied up.

Kaede's only visible eye glimmered with amusement. "Relax, child. I sense spiritual power within you. Have you received miko training?"

Seina nodded, not trusting her voice anymore. She dropped her gaze to the ground, feeling her cheeks burn as she chewed on her lower lip. This was what she got for being shy for so long. Her communication skills sucked at times.

"For how long?"

"As...as long as I can remember. I lived with my family in my father's shrine."

Just speaking in past-tense like that made her very soul ache. It hadn't even been long since she lost almost everything; not even a full year. She saw Kagome stare at her worriedly out of her peripherals, reassuring her with a forced smile.

The old miko before her lifted a brow. "'Lived'?"

Seina's face fell, telling Kaede all she needed to know.

"Ah, I see. I am sorry for your loss, child. Now that I have an idea as to what has transpired..."

She turned, ordering the man holding Kaede's bow-and Seina's beloved scarf and bag-to cut them free. Seina rubbed her raw wrists from the rope burn she experienced, checking Kagome to see due to struggling, her rope burn was even worse than hers. The skin broke. Blood stained her delicate wrists, but they didn't look too deep, thankfully.

"...you two no longer need to be restrained. Come; it is getting dark and we have much to discuss."

Ignoring her soreness from her position and her case of rope burn, Seina bowed respectfully to Kaede. "Thank you very much, Kaede-sama."

She paused as Kagome started to follow the elder of the village, glancing at her bag and scarf the skeptical follower of Kaede still possessed. "Um...if it isn't too much trouble...may I please have my bag and scarf back? There is nothing malign in there; certainly nothing to pose a threat. You can check again if you wish."

The old miko looked from the man to her, nodding at her faithful villager to relinquish her belongings back to her. She smiled sincerely at him, genuine relief sparking in her shimmering dark irises.

"Thank you!" she breathed, walking faster to catch up with her cousin, not noticing the expression of confusion and disbelief on his face.

* * *

**Inside Kaede's House**

Kaede watched curiously whilst preparing a steaming soup for the two exhausted and terrified girls as Seina dug through the contents of her bag until she came across her little med kit.

Kagome made a sound of relief, eager to bind her wounds. "Oh, thank goodness! I was worried my wrists would get infected or something. Sei-chan, I didn't know you carried around a med kit!"

Seina nearly snorted, pulling out the gauze bandages and antibiotic cream. "Of course. I am the daughter of a doctor, after all."

"Oh, right. Sorry." The ravenette smiled, mentally beating herself up for causing her cousin to bring up the sore subject of her mother.

Seina dutifully applied the cream to Kagome's wrists after cleaning them as thoroughly as possible with her bottled water. Considering how limited everything in the village was, the brunette wasn't going to take her chances with the water. They had purifiers back home, but here? Here, they had to make due with what they had.

"Don't apologize. I never really told anyone, mainly because it has been such a habit of mine to carry it around. I actually have two on me, but I'm sure only one is needed here." She said, gently wrapping Kagome's wrists with the gauze bandages.

The brunette proceeded to clean and bind her own wounds, aware of Kaede's staring.

"I'm sure you have many questions, Kaede-sama. Simply put, my med kits are from a..._place_ where medical treatment is far more advanced than what is available here."

The old woman grunted, chopping away at vegetables and other edible herbs to flavor the boiling soup. "Yes, I can see that. It is very intriguing, but I will probably receive more answers concerning your advanced medicine at a later date."

"Yes...probably." Seina agreed with a small smile. "Kaede-sama, may I ask you a question?"

Kaede hummed amicably in response.

"Well, actually, I have two questions: Who is in charge: the Emperor or the Shogun? And what island-er, province, is this?"

Kagome sent her cousin a puzzled frown, which she pointedly ignored while awaiting the old woman's answer.

"Hm? Who is in charge? Well, supposedly the Emperor, but everyone knows the Shogun are the ones truly at the top. And this is Musashi Province. Had I not come across a girl baring my sister Kikyo's face, I would have been more surprised by these questions. But something tells me the two of you are very far from home."

"That is an understatement," Seina answered dryly, helping Kaede prepare the soup by finishing up the vegetables and tossing them into the pot of boiling, flavored water. "and thank you, that was very helpful."

It felt like a weight dropped in her growling stomach. She was prepared for Kaede's answer, but still hoped it wasn't true. Either this was a very real hallucination/lucid dream, or she was just told a horrifying reality.

After aiding Kaede with food preparation, she quickly returned to Kagome's side, pulling at her sleeve worriedly.

"Kagome, as soon as we're able, we need to find our way home."

The ravenette frowned. "Uh yeah, I know. I want to return as badly as you do. But why-"

"'Gome-chan, you do not understand. We're not in Tokyo; we are in the Musashi Province. It's before Tokyo even existed. Do you realize what this means? And the fact that the Shogun are in charge? I know you're terrible at math, but I swear you were much better at history than you let on."

She pursed her lips, affronted by her remark. "Hey!"

"Ugh, now is not the time to get so easily offended!" Seina groaned, looking at her cousin dead in the eyes. "Kagome, if this was Tokyo, she would've said so! The Musashi Province only existed during the Sengoku Period! And the Shogun? If I am correct, then we are in either the late 1400s or the early 1500s. One of the villagers said something about not wanting _another_ war to start. Perhaps the previous war he was thinking of was the Ōnin War. That was what sparked the Sengoku Period, remember?"

"Oh yeah. Wait, so...you can't seriously be thinking we traveled through time, do you? I mean, that's just...it's impossible! How hard did you hit your head?"

"I know how it must sound. But considering the fact we just got dragged down the Honekui no Ido-which, if you remember, somehow became a cosmic-looking space-by a demon, I do not believe it is as impossible as it sounds."

Kagome's eyes widened significantly as the girl slumped against the wall, holding her head in her hands. "Oh my gosh...we time traveled into the past."

"And into the Sengoku Period. Where war and warriors-both male and female-are at an all-time high. This is one of the bloodiest points in Japanese history, and we were thrown smack-dab into the middle of it."

"Sei-chan, we need to go home. I...I want to go home!"

_'Good going, Seina. Out of your need to prove how smart you are, you ended up freaking out your cousin. I hope you are proud of yourself...Idiot.' _The brunette thought bitingly, moving to comfort the panicked teen.

"Hey, hey. It will be okay. I think the well holds the key to returning home. As soon as we are able, we will return to where we climbed out. If it got us here, then maybe it can send us back."

Kagome started to calm down, nodding in agreement. She smiled at her cousin, who sighed and turned back to Kaede.

She was offered a bowl of the ready soup, eagerly accepting it with a pair of chopsticks. After hearing Kagome's growling stomach, she sighed and handed off her bowl to her.

"Huh? Sei-chan, you don't have to..."

"It's fine. There is another bowl coming up, so don't worry about it." Seina told her, glancing away.

Kagome's smile broadened, accepting the bowl and hungrily wolfing down its contents. "Thanks!"

Kaede gave another bowl to Seina, who grinned and hastily took it from her. "Mmm, it looks delicious. Thank you very much, Kaede-sama!"

Honestly, the only reason she was putting on such a false air of ease and cheer was to relax Kagome, and to possibly try and soothe her frayed nerves.

The brunette gazed at the surface of her soup. The reflection staring back at her had a very dirty and scratched up face, with frazzled and tangled hair that was almost completely free of its braid. She couldn't help but feel disgusted with herself. She looked terrible.

After deciding to fix her hair to look a little more presentable, Seina sipped at her soup, sitting on her knees as she kept the old woman company. Kagome seemed to want a little time to herself, considering she hadn't moved from her spot against the wall. Seina didn't blame her; everything was happening so fast she wasn't sure how she was keeping up so far.

"Forgive us. With so many wars these days...our young ones have become rash. Even if I tell them we've no business with wars...they refuse to listen and only give me more to worry about."

Seina chuckled a little. "Yes, well, that is usually how young people are. I know I didn't exactly react the best when Kagome and I first came here, either. Um, per chance...have you ever heard of a place called Tokyo?"

"'Tokyo'? No, I have never heard of such a place. Is that your hometown?"

"Yes, I suppose you could phrase it like that...anyways, my cousin and I will be out of your way soon. I think I have an idea on how to return home."

Kaede gazed at her for a moment, confused. Then her focus shifted to Kagome, who was absently consuming her soup. So much like Kikyo, yet evidently different...if anything, Seina acted more like her deceased sister than her look-alike did.

A loud crashing sound filled the air not long after, alarming the old miko and the two girls. They peeked outside the door, wanting to see what was happening. Seina felt her heart hammering inside her chest so fast she thought it was going to explode.

"What's going on?!" Kaede demanded, emerging from her home.

Not wanting to remain alone in a possibly unsafe area, the two girls followed suit. Massive dust clouds formed from the dirt getting kicked up so much as the same demon that dragged Kagome-and consequently Seina-into the well came charging into view with a horse in her mouth.

"An evil spirit!" a villager cried.

The demon really did look like a female half-human, half-centipede monster. Seina shivered, feeling her hands tingle again. But...somehow, it was different. She was too fixated on the demon-and too terrified to move-to dare glance at her hands.

But Kaede did, sensing the surge of spiritual energy beside her. She looked at Seina's hands, which were glowing faintly with spiritual energy.

_'Her powers are close to awakening. I see...they respond to her fear. If this demon should pursue or attack her or her cousin, she might have a chance at defending both herself and Kagome. Let us hope whatever spiritual energy that resides in you, Seina, awakens in time.'_

Fire arrows rained down on the demon, who dropped the barely living horse to the ground, sweeping her centipede tail across the ground to knock away the villagers armed with torches and arrows. Their cries of pain made Seina grimace, shivering involuntarily.

_'How is Kagome not affected?! Is she really that detached from what is happening right now? Is this a game to her, or is she more pragmatic than I first believed?' _she wondered, vaguely hearing Kagome exclaim how it was the same demon from before.

It felt like she was standing beside a stranger. Seina felt oddly perturbed by the fact Kagome was handling this better than she was. Who was more normal in this case? Her? Or Kagome?

Stealing a look at her cousin, Seina noticed the ravenette hardly seemed affected at all by Mistress Centipede's appearance, or the fact she was hunting her. How could she not feel the least bit terrified?

"Hand me the Shikon no Tama!" the centipede demon demanded, rushing towards the trio as she lowered to the ground.

Kagome yelped while Seina shoved her down, covering her body with her own to protect her. From the looks of it, Kaede was alright as well.

The demon returned, nearly hitting the brunette in the process. Kaede looked at them in shock.

"The Shikon no Tama? Do you have it?"

"I don't know! I don't know about any Shikon no Tama!" Kagome replied frantically.

"I do! It's inside her body. I only saw it for a few seconds, but I know what I saw! That demon...it regenerated simply from holding her. If it is that powerful..." Seina trailed off.

Kagome gaped in astonishment. She hadn't thought what she did in the Honekui no Ido was of any significance. Kaede's eye was blown wide, trying to think of some way to protect the jewel.

"Give it to me! Give it to me!"

The centipede demon began spinning her body so fast she used it like a drill to plow through resisting villagers, desperate for the Shikon no Tama inside of Kagome. Speaking of Kagome...

Seina turned to look at her cousin, who had a very determined expression on her face. The weight in her stomach sunk lower, her throat going dry.

"Kagome, no."

"But she's after me! If I can just-"

"No! I won't let you!" Seina protested, tears pricking her eyes. "You are all I have left here! Please...please don't do this to me."

"Sei-chan..."

A couple of the young men from the village hurried over to protect Kaede and the teen girls currently having a very real crisis.

"Our spears and arrows have no effect!"

"We must throw her into the dry well!" Kaede ordered.

"A dry well?" Kagome repeated, puzzled by the mention of another well.

"The well in the Inuyasha Forest."

"Which way is the forest?"

"I remember! It's where the light is shining, do you see it?" Seina speedily answered, turning her cousin around towards the vast area of trees ahead.

She nodded in confirmation. "Yeah, I see it! I'll go-"

"Shut up! If you leave me here, I will never forgive you! Never talk about leaving me behind and sacrificing yourself ever again, understand, Kagome?" Seina snapped, fury and pain shining in her dark eyes.

Kagome hesitated a few seconds before relenting. "Okay, but we don't have much time."

"Then let's go!" the brunette said, letting Kagome go first to try and provide her cover as they sprinted as fast as they could from the village.

"What did you just say?!" Kaede called out before she was knocked over by Mistress Centipede, who quickly started pursuing the two girls.

"It'll pursue us!" Kagome shouted as she and Seina jumped off a small ledge, dashing across puddles and the path between bodies of water, apparently used for rice planting.

_'Please just let us make it, please just let us make it!' _Seina chanted in her head, praying for a miracle.

"Someone help us!" Kagome screamed as Mistress Centipede drew closer to them, already running out of breath.

The brunette behind her almost stopped at the sudden pulse of power from her cousin's cry for help. Something just happened. What just happened?

Whatever it was, she hoped it'd help them in the end.

* * *

**Inuyasha Forest**

A clawed hand twitched, moving tensely against the vines.

Inuyasha lifted his hand, eager to claw his way out of the vines binding him to pursue the all too familiar scent of a certain miko.

His eyes opened, revealing his golden, demonic orbs. He flashed a twisted grin, ready to get his revenge.

"I can smell it...The scent of the woman who killed me! It's approaching!" he muttered to himself excitedly, envisioning sinking his claws into Kikyo's skin to rip her apart.

Inuyasha felt annoyed that a very tiny piece of him disapproved of the image in his mind, pushing it away. He reached for the Sacred Arrow pinning him to the Goshinboku, grunting in both pain and frustration when it suddenly flared with spiritual power.

"Damn!" he cursed, proceeding to curse out the powerful miko for putting him in his current, helpless state.

No matter; he'd find a way out eventually. And when he did...Kikyo was going to regret the day she fired that arrow at him.

* * *

**A/N: Oooh, Seina's miko powers are about to awaken! You'll see what they're all about later, but I will use some stuff from Secret of the Cursed Mask and will put it in the disclaimer once it pops up. How do you guys think Inuyasha react to the addition of Seina? And what do you think Seina's miko powers are like? Do you think she'll be strong enough/brave enough to even use them? Thank you, all ye faithful viewers for reading this fic! Ja ne!**


	8. Inuyasha

**As Strong As Wisteria**

**Chapter 8: Inuyasha**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I only own this fanfic and my OCs.**

**A/N: I just wanted to say thank you to BrknFire, Helena Light, Inu-Hanou2016, Inulover1993, Moonlite 880, StoryLovingAuthor, MoonlightWolf16, Xxser3ndipityxX, and Volpiko for favoriting/following As Strong As Wisteria! I appreciate it so much! Hopefully you guys will also leave some reviews! It can be just "cool chapter" or constructive criticism if you found errors or something about it is bothering you. I'll fix it to the best of my abilities!**

**So, yeah, thank you so much! Enjoy!**

* * *

**Seina**

Oh crap, why was Kagome running up the incline?! She knew it was a faster way to get to the forest, but still!

"Give me the Shikon no Tama!" Mistress Centipede demanded.

The long blades of grass hitting Seina's legging-covered legs would have been a nice familiarity if it wasn't for her current predicament. Her lungs burned from the amount of sprinting she was performing, out of the sheer desire to flee and survive.

"I don't have any such thing!" Kagome argued, pumping her legs as fast as she could, finally reaching the outskirts of the Inuyasha Forest.

"Kagome, now...*huff*...is not the time to argue...*huff* with a demon!" Seina gasped, regretting speaking as her lungs worked overtime and her legs tired further.

Mistress Centipede lunged for them, making them fly through the air and into the forest. Seina felt something burn on her back, not having to look to know the demon managed to scratch her.

Seina landed on her back as Kagome slid to a stop on her stomach, getting the wind knocked out of her for a good several seconds. She gasped for breath, feeling like she was dying.

She remembered one time, she was playing with her friends in elementary school, and hit by a ball so hard against the abdomen, the wind was knocked out of her then, too. But why remember _that_ of all things at the moment?

Was she that desperate to escape to the recesses of her mind in favor of dealing with reality?

"Hey, Kikyo! Why are you wasting time with the Mistress Centipede?" an unknown male voice called.

The brunette and Kagome forced themselves up, staring into the golden orbs of a certain awakened demon.

_'Great. This is the _last_ thing we need! Note to self: if Kagome tries to call in vain for help, do not let her!'_ Seina thought, panting heavily.

"Are you...alive?" she heard Kagome murmur.

"'Gome-chan, we have been over this already." She whispered, not that it mattered much.

If the demon had dog-ears, it was more than likely he had enhanced hearing. Even his eyes were unnatural. She should've felt unnerved, but...why did she feel so intrigued? He looked like a normal boy aside from his demonic qualities, and his eyes...

They looked sort of like hers.

"Oh, right. Sorry." Kagome muttered back, feeling stupid all over again.

Seina was torn between a sick feeling of satisfaction/superiority, and guilt for inadvertently bringing her cousin down again.

"Kill her in one strike, Kikyo. Just like the time you killed me." The demon-presumably Inuyasha-remarked with a heated bitterness that only came from someone who got betrayed.

"Wait a minute...what is this other scent? Who're you?" The demon questioned, his golden eyes full of hatred and pain locking on Seina.

She stood calmly, not even feeling the scratches on her back due to the adrenaline coursing through her veins. "I am Seina, Kagome's cousin. The one you keep mistaking for what I think is a deceased miko, Kikyo."

"Tch. Deceased? She's standing right there, idiot."

"If you had eyes, you would realize she does not possess any weaponry or the sort of clothing she would normally wear as a miko from this time period..." Seina explained, drawing closer to the arrow keeping him pinned to the Goshinboku. "...and upon further inspection of this arrow, Kikyo didn't shoot you with the intent to kill. At least, not entirely. If your anatomy is the same as a human's, then your heart was narrowly missed."

The demon's golden eyes narrowed dangerously. "What? What the hell are you talking about?"

"The last time I checked, demons cannot come back to life! Unless that is one of your properties somehow or you made a favor with one of the Gods?" Seina retorted while her cousin remained sitting on the ground, staring in utter bewilderment at the exchange.

Inuyasha grit his teeth, 'tsking' as he glanced away. "I _know_ that's Kikyo. And I honestly don't give a damn if my heart was 'narrowly missed' or whatever. The fact still remains I'm stuck to this tree, and Kikyo's alive."

"Why do you care if she is still alive or not? Shouldn't you be hoping she is dead if she's the one that put you in this state?" the brunette queried, genuinely confused by his conviction of Kikyo's status.

"That's none of your business!" He snapped, glaring at her intensely.

She frowned, stepping away from the tree. "Well, you're right. It's not. But Kagome _is_ my business, and I'd prefer it if you left her alone."

He rolled his eyes, then paused. Inuyasha's attention shifted back to Kagome, wondering why Kikyo-who was in actuality Kagome-hadn't spoken a word so far.

"Why the hell haven't you done anything yet? Don't look so dumb, Kikyo! Lost your mind already, Kikyo?"

And that was when the ravenette's already fraying, short-lasting patience wore out. "Hey! Kikyo? Kikyo? Who's this Kikyo?! You listen here, my name is..."

"She's coming." Inuyasha cut in, sounding bored.

Mistress Centipede descended from the branches of the Goshinboku, her elongated body curling around both girls. Even though she screamed in unison with her cousin, Seina acted as a shield for her, attempting to push away the threatening demon.

"S-Stay away!" She cried, the glowing in her hands intensifying until, when she pushed against the Mistress Centipede, it damaged the unrelenting creature with the spiritual power that burst forth.

The demon screamed in agony, the flesh of her bare chest melting and deforming from the contact. Seina gaped in shock, staring at her hands curiously. A couple of harpoons stabbed into Mistress Centipede's side and tail, with the villagers hauling her away from the teens and Inuyasha.

Kagome glanced at her cousin uncertainly. "S...Sei-chan? Did you really just...?"

"Yes...I...I think I did. I guess...my powers as a miko have awakened. I...I feel like I should be more surprised, but considering everything that's happening, I guess it isn't all too strange, is it?"

_'Plus I was trained to become a miko my whole life under my father. He told me that our lineage passed down powerful abilities, but I never believed him. Did he have spiritual powers, too? I was not even entirely sure I wished to go down the same path as him...I have been wanting to become a doctor, like Kaa-chan. Will I be able to even though I have experienced all of this?' _Seina wondered, clenching her hands.

"I...guess not. Thank you, I'm saved!" Kagome smiled, sighing in relief.

Inuyasha scoffed. "So hopeless, Kikyo!"

"Hey, you!" the ravenette snapped, getting to her feet. "Don't mistake me! I said I'm not Kikyo!"

She started to march over to the demon, when Seina stopped her, shaking her head. Kagome was never nice to deal with when her temper kicked in, and she'd rather placate the demon than irritate him further.

Instead, the brunette walked up to Inuyasha, who watched her carefully. Now that he knew she had miko powers, she was sure he'd exert a little more caution. He seemed like the reckless type, but perhaps she could manage to reason with him.

There was something about him that was similar to herself. She couldn't grasp what, but she was determined to find out.

"Listen, we've told you before, she is not Kikyo. Why do you insist she is? Because they look the same? Look at her! Does she really look like a trained miko?"

"Hey!" Kagome scowled, huffing indignantly.

"Sorry, but it's true."

"Shut up! Who else could give off a scent like her?" Inuyasha growled, peeved at the teen.

Seina beckoned Kagome to come closer, but to keep quiet. She shifted a little so Kagome was closer to the demon, and he could see her face clearly.

"_Really_ look at her. Do you still think she is Kikyo?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, staring at Kagome. He paused, his expression twisting into one of confusion.

"Huh? You're not...her."

He stared at the girl in shock. Seina smiled, feeling a little less terrified now that Mistress Centipede was taken care of and Inuyasha posed no threat. That _had_ to be his name. Why else would it be called Inuyasha Forest, and there was some kind of dog demon stuck to the Goshinboku?

"See? Kikyo is gone. This is my cousin, Kagome."

"Finally he gets it!" the ravenette remarked, earning a glare from Seina.

Inuyasha glanced away. "Kikyo seemed smarter. And she was a beauty."

_'Well he could at least hold his tongue...but I do not expect much from a demon.' _The brunette

Kagome became infuriated, while Seina tried to calm her down. With neither of them paying much attention, they didn't notice Mistress Centipede rounding back towards them. She knocked aside Seina, knowing she'd be trouble otherwise.

She flew to the ground hard with a scream, hitting her head in the process. As she struggled to her feet, Seina almost fell down again from the dizziness that ensued in the process. Her vision swam as she barely diagnosed herself with a possibly serious concussion.

"N-No...I...have to...help!"

Her panic overwhelmed her concussion as her vision started to clear up. Her dizziness hadn't lessened, though, so she was hopelessly stumbling towards danger without a plan. She didn't even have enough control over her awakened powers yet, so she wasn't sure they'd respond to her on command.

_'Please...please let me make it! I can't see someone else I care about die! Not again...never again!'_

The demon then latched onto Kagome, who was too concerned with her cousin. She yelled, grabbing the closest thing to anchor herself: Inuyasha's hair.

"Let go of me!" she screamed, keeping an iron grip on the poor half-demon's hair.

"Ow ow ow ow ow! _You_ let go of _me_!" Inuyasha cried back, grimacing in pain.

Seina's eyes went wide, managing to see Kagome struggling against Mistress Centipede. She slapped herself across the cheek, awakening her senses. She heard the villagers shouting about Inuyasha and the miko Kaede, but she was laser-focused on her cousin.

"Give me the Shikon no Tama!"

"Let me go!"

_'Come on, awaken! Awaken! AWAKEN!' _Seina mentally screamed, attempting to channel her purification abilities into her hands to push away the demon to no avail.

She thought she saw Inuyasha's expression change out of her peripherals, but it was so blurry from her head trauma she ignored it. She started going faster when Mistress Centipede opened her mouth, revealing massive fangs and rows of sharp teeth.

Her legs failed her, buckling when she tripped over a rock. She braced herself, barely preventing a face-plant into the dirt.

"No! Not...now..." she slurred, finding it increasingly difficult to think.

"Stop!" Kagome yelled, shooting out a hand.

Something, perhaps powers of her own, repelled the demon, sending the ravenette crashing to the ground. The rest of Mistress Centipede's arms fell off as a result.

"That's right...something like this happened in that well...But why can I do these things?"

"K-Kagome...run!" Seina shouted, pushing herself back up.

The teen snapped back to reality, even though she was astonished by the glowing coming from her body. But she took too long, getting caught in Mistress Centipede's fangs.

She was thrown high into the air, her side getting cut open by the demon's teeth. A small, shining jewel emerged from her body, bouncing and rolling to a stop not far from its host.

Kagome struggled to stand while Seina rushed over to her, grabbing the Shikon no Tama out of pure instinct.

"Are you okay?"

"I...I think so," the ravenette gasped, pressing a hand to her wound.

"You need...medical treatment! That's a very...serious...wound..." Seina murmured, swaying on her feet.

"Sei-chan!" her cousin exclaimed, helping her remain upright. "There's blood on your face! How hard did you fall?"

"That...doesn't matter. Get out of here! I have the Shikon no Tama, so leave! Leave now!" Seina told her, not even realizing there'd been blood on her face until she pointed it out.

"No! Give me the Shikon no Tama! Hurry!" Inuyasha suddenly chimed in, his eyes desperately searching for the jewel.

The brunette glared at him, her grip on the Shikon no Tama tightening. "You're only going to...use it...for your own ends!"

And then she found herself slammed against the Goshinboku face-first beside her cousin and Inuyasha.

_'Damn it! I spent too much time arguing! I should've just...pushed 'Gome away and ran! Not that it would...do me much...' _Seina thought drearily, the slurring worsening even as she talked to herself in her head.

_'And it's...getting harder...to think straight...' _

Honestly, she wanted to hand over the jewel and submit herself to her fate. She was so tired, scared, and in pain. Giving up would be so much easier.

"I heard that a half-demon brat was after the Shikon no Tama. So you're the one?" the demon said tauntingly, rubbing it in his face.

_'So he _is_ a half-demon. That might explain a lot of things about him, then...did his parents at least love and accept him for what he is?' _Seina wondered, a pang of sympathy for Inuyasha hitting her.

"Don't underestimate me, Mistress Centipede! I can take care of you...if I really get down to business."

_'Sure...because it's not like...you're sealed to the Goshinboku...or anything...' _the brunette thought dryly, shooting him a dull look.

He didn't notice, thank goodness. His voice was loud and only made the pounding in her head worsen. Speaking of loud voices...

"You! You're awfully arrogant. Are you strong?"

Ugh. Why did Kagome seem to have no sense when it came to dealing with demons? Oh, right, because she never bothered to _learn_!

"Huh?" Inuyasha stared at her incredulously, as if he couldn't believe she was asking such a question to a sealed half-demon like himself.

Seina couldn't believe it, either.

"Kagome, no. He _can't_ be...an option!" She protested, gripping tighter on the Shikon no Tama.

Her cousin glanced at her, filled with determination. "We don't exactly _have_ a lot of options, Sei-chan!"

The ravenette's attention returned to the white-haired boy. "Well? Are you?"

Inuyasha furrowed his brow, looking at Mistress Centipede, who chuckled amusingly.

"What can he do, strapped down like that? He's under a powerful spell. Just stay where you are and watch!"

Despite her laughter, when the demon lowered to the ground, the jewel she desired was nowhere to be found. She growled, befuddled by the absence of the object.

"I'm sure I saw it fall around here! Where is it?! Where is the Shikon no Tama?!"

If it wasn't for the adrenaline and fear already causing her heart to pound, Seina would've started panicking about how it seemed to get louder.

Mistress Centipede tightened her hold on the trio, painfully beginning to squeeze all of the air out of the two mortal girls.

"Where is it?! Tell me where it is!"

"W...Wait!" Seina wheezed, desperate to breathe.

The demon returned to her normal grip on them, allowing her to catch her breath.

"I have it. And if you don't let us go...I'll crush this little jewel...into a million pieces! Then you'll never...become...more powerful." The brunette threatened, revealing her balled-up fist containing the Shikon no Tama.

"I-Idiot! What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Inuyasha barked, appearing desperate for her not to risk shattering the dangerous object.

She forced herself to look at him despite the pressure from Mistress Centipede's bindings. "What I have to."

That's right...she couldn't give up. Not when Kagome needed her. Not when Seina, herself, still wanted to live. Despite the pain both physical and emotional she was currently enduring, she couldn't give into despair or fatigue. Even if she did die, she'd rather go down fighting than hand in the towel. Otherwise, her parents would be disappointed in her.

The demon chuckled haughtily, her upper body nearing the Goshinboku. "You fool! I'll just crush all of you and take the Shikon no Tama from your corpse!"

"B-But...if...you do that..." she gasped, struggling to talk when the pressure increased, "...then...I'll take the Shikon no Tama...with me! It'll turn to dust...before you can kill me!"

It was a total lie. Honestly, Seina was too battered and drained to have the strength to crush the jewel with one hand. Plus, she still hadn't recovered from neglecting her health for so long. But she hoped her bluff would trick the demon, since the centipede monster didn't seem to know much about humans.

Mistress Centipede paused. The brunette had her eyes closed, so the feeling of being released came as a surprise. Seina crashed to the ground, almost dropping the Shikon no Tama. She scrambled to her feet, prepared to take off running.

Unfortunately, the demon was faster than her. Her tail lashed through the air, slamming Seina to the ground and nearly succeeding in obtaining the jewel.

"Give me the Shikon no Tama!"

"Come and get it from me, then!" the brunette challenged, throwing herself away from the incoming tail.

"Sei-chan! Stop it!" Kagome shouted, becoming hysterical at the sight of her cousin in peril.

Seina's head throbbed, and her thoughts were nothing but a convoluted mess without any sort of order due to her concussion. Her body ached, her lungs screamed, and her heart threatened to tear itself out of her chest.

But this was what was right. She needed to stop getting paralyzed by fear! If Kagome could do the right thing unflinchingly, then so could she. This was her moment to step up and play her part.

"Run, Kagome! Run far away from here!" She snapped, shooting her a harsh glare.

Maybe if she actively pushed her away, she'd finally listen.

Seina dodged the tail again, getting further away from the Goshinboku and protesting Inuyasha. Kagome started towards her cousin, paused, then made up her mind.

She turned away, in the direction of the well, and took off running.

The brunette avoiding Mistress Centipede sighed in relief, trying to escape the clutches of the demon.

_'Thank Kami...now, if I die, at least I won't have failed her.' _

* * *

**Kagome**

She sprinted away from the Goshinboku, hearing her cousin's loud grunts and the loud booming from Mistress Centipede's attacks.

_'She doesn't need me. She's never needed me! Sei-chan can handle herself, I know she can! Even...even if she's injured...and bleeding...and not thinking straight...' _Kagome thought to herself, her pace slowing as guilt gnawed at her.

She shook her head. "No. Sei-chan's been wanting me to run away this entire time! She's been wanting to keep me safe and to go home. So, if that'll make her happy, then...who am I to stand in her way?"

Plus, the pain in her side was starting to flare. The adrenaline rush must be fading. The ravenette pressed a hand to her side, coming away with her hand stained in blood. If Seina was here, she'd be able to assess how serious it was. Kagome just knew it hurt. She'd be nothing but a hindrance.

"Must've been nice...having a doctor for a mom." She wondered aloud, glancing behind her to see havoc continuing to ensue.

There was no way Seina would be able to defeat Mistress Centipede, not when she was already so weak and battered. Sure, she awakened her miko powers, but how effective would they be without a weapon to channel them? She recalled something both Jii-chan and Seina told her about mikos: their powers were formidable, but especially when equipped with weapons ranging from bells to swords to arrows.

Without a weapon of some sort, her cousin didn't stand a chance. And Kagome doubted Seina's miko training involved weapon practice. Not when she had a doctor for a mother.

_'I...I have to go back. I can't just abandon her like this!'_

She remembered when she tried to do the same; when Seina prevented her from sacrificing herself.

_'If you leave me here, I will never forgive you! Never talk about leaving me behind and sacrificing yourself ever again, understand?'_

Those were her words exactly. Who was she to decide who could sacrifice themselves and who couldn't?! A surge of anger rose up in Kagome, fueling her rather brash decision further. Just as Seina didn't want Kagome to throw her life away, she didn't want Seina giving up hers, either!

It wasn't fair, and she wasn't going to let her die a hypocrite. Or at all, for that matter. Because Kagome had a plan. It was stupid and would probably have major consequences, but right now their best shot was demon vs. demon. That half-demon might be rude, but if he was as strong as he said he was, she'd do whatever it took to save her cousin.

So Kagome ran back as if hell was chasing her, ignoring her blood loss and the pain exploding in her wounded side. There was no way she'd let Seina die in the past, cornered by a terrifying demon bent on obtaining a stupid little crystal ball!

_'I'm coming, Sei-chan! Please...please stay_ alive!'

* * *

**Inuyasha**

He taunted the girl without mercy, right after her shameless, cowardly cousin that just happened to look like Kikyo took off without her.

"Wow, some cousin you have there. I guess blood isn't thicker than water after all."

"Do you...ever...get tired of verbally abusing people?" Seina queried, panting heavily while running away from the infuriated Mistress Centipede.

"Give me the Shikon no Tama! I must have it!"

"Tch, what else do you expect me to do while I'm stuck here?"

She glanced at him briefly, smiling a little to his surprise. "Okay, point there."

This girl was weird. But oddly enough, she reminded him of Kikyo, just a little. She was taller, nowhere near her beauty, and possessed a sort of...sad aura about her.

Her scent was strange. It smelled of some sort of flower and home-cooked food, with a hint of...something. He couldn't really identify it. Inuyasha didn't understand how Seina could even function.

It was so obvious something was wrong with her head, and she looked like she was going to pass out where she stood. Yet, a determined glint shined in her dark honey orbs that powered her body to obey.

Inuyasha also didn't understand why she hadn't blown up at him yet. Obviously she didn't trust him, nor did she seem to like him, but she hadn't come close to snapping at him like her cousin did.

He watched her yelp as Mistress Centipede almost cornered her, shielding herself with her hands.

A bright light emitted from her palms, protecting her from the incoming attack and burning the demon greatly. A chunk of her tail crumbled away, leaving her screaming in agony.

Inuyasha glared at her intensely. "You idiot! Don't let her get the jewel! Let me have it!"

"There is nothing you could...do with it...when sealed like that anyways! And I don't know what it...would do to...a half-demon!" She shot back, her usually miraculously-lasting patience ebbing away from her fatigue, pain, and current distress.

"Then un-seal me, Stupid! You're a miko, aren't you?"

Seina rolled out of the way of another attack, barely keeping up with Mistress Centipede's relentless speed.

"I _just_ unlocked my powers! I didn't believe...miko powers...existed...until now! And I couldn't unseal you even if I...wanted to! Only...the person...that originally sealed you...can undo it!"

"Damn it, I can't believe this!" Inuyasha cursed, watching the scenario play before him helplessly.

One thing he knew this miko and her useless cousin had in common was their stubborn nature. He gave the brunette warding off Mistress Centipede credit for her demon and miko knowledge, as well as her brains she actually used, but those could only help her so much when she let her pride control her.

Not that he was one to talk in regards to pride, anyway.

He caught a whiff of a familiar scent approaching. Confused, Inuyasha turned his head to the depths of the forest where Kik-er, whatever her name was, took off running. How sad; not even her blood would stick around for her. Well, maybe not, since he could see the outline of a figure coming towards them.

"What the hell are you doing back here? Too dumb to bother saving your own skin, even after your cousin here wanted you to scram?"

She shot him a glare just as Seina's legs failed at last. They'd been failing for the past half hour, but this time, her strength was nearly depleted. Without her strength, her miko powers failed. She wasn't afraid, either, so they didn't react on instinct. And the surprise from the reappearance of her cousin threw her for a loop.

The demon tripped her, closing in on her prey.

"Kagome? What are you doing...back here?! I told you...to...run!"

"Yeah, well, I came back! You're not dying on my watch!" Kagome snapped back, rounding on the half-demon in front of her. "And you! Shut up, you! You're strong, right?"

Inuyasha was further puzzled. "Huh?"

"Before! You never answered my question! Can you beat her?" Kagome demanded.

Mistress Centipede clamped her jaws into her shoulder, eliciting a loud scream of pain from the brunette, who finally dropped the Shikon no Tama. Blood stained her uniform as she dropped to the ground, the pain pulsing in her injured shoulder. Thankfully, it wasn't too deep and didn't cause too much muscle damage. It didn't seem like her nerves were permanently damaged either, so that was a plus.

But her fatigue won out as she finally got a breather on the ground, weakly watching Mistress Centipede curl her disgusting long tongue around the jewel.

"It's mine! It's finally mine!"

"Sei-chan!" the ravenette yelled, before she was once again entrapped by the demon and squished against an uncomfortable half-demon.

"Ah, damn you! It swallowed the jewel!" Inuyasha exclaimed, fervently glancing from Mistress Centipede to the defeated Seina.

_'If only that idiot had the sense to ask for a weapon or something!' _he thought bitingly, wishing he could use his claws to rip the stupid demon binding the ravenette to him.

The villagers were relaying what happened back to Kaede, who was also alarmed at the fact the demon had consumed the Shikon no Tama.

A crimson, demonic aura covered Mistress Centipede's amputated arms before they suddenly reattached to her body seamlessly. The melted and de-formed flesh on her chest and tail knitted itself back together, as if not a scratch was inflicted.

"Its arms are growing again." Kagome murmured, clenching the front of Inuyasha's hitatare.

_'Your flesh and blood is lying on the ground, injured and about to die by a demon, and all you can think about is its _arms growing back_? Tch, humans are even more disgusting than I remembered.' _The half-demon mused venomously, finding himself looking over at Seina and wondering if she'd get up soon.

She had an inner strength in her that tended to wane, it seemed. But what would he know? He literally just met her not too long ago. He was surprised she'd even been able to snatch the jewel when it was so dark out. The sun had long since set, leaving the area with little light aside from the canopy of peppered stars and the gentle radiance of the moon.

Even thought he hated all humans-Seina especially since she was a miko-Inuyasha gave her some credit. She didn't back down from the demon, nor did she let her cousin get involved. Until she came back, that is.

Mistress Centipede's skin literally fell off, revealing disgusting purplish flesh, lip-less razor-sharp teeth, and massive, bulging red eyes. She was a horrific sight to behold, and that was an understatement.

"Rejoice! My power is being restored!"

Her tail tightened around the Goshinboku, pulling down a baffled Kagome.

"Ah! It's got me!"

"...hey, can you pull out this arrow?" Inuyasha asked, his golden eyes never straying from the newly empowered Mistress Centipede.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm on it already! You're our only option left!" The ravenette snarked, shocking the half-demon by curling her hand around the arrow pinning him to the tree, and yanking it out with all her might.

She ignored Kaede's orders to leave the arrow be. Her cousin was next to die, she felt it in her soul. And _that_ wasn't something she could leave be.

"WORK!"

A bright, lavender light glowed from the spot where the arrow struck Inuyasha, and dissolved into spiritual energy.

There was a pause where nothing happened, only silence that reigned over the clearing. Seina, having felt she rested enough, meekly pushed herself up. She stared in horror at the unsealed half-demon, feeling his unleashed power return to him.

"Inu...yasha? Kagome...what have you done?"

As Inuyasha cackled manically, Kagome started wondering if she should regret this decision, and more importantly, who she and Seina were going to die from.

* * *

**A/N: Dun-dun-dunn! So yeah, not sure if Seina will even get Shikigami at her disposal, but we'll see. So far it's been used for defense only, emitting purification energy and little shields to protect herself. SUPER LONG and two days late! My bad, life happened. Anyways, review, favorite, and follow! They make my day and help me write more! Ja ne!**


	9. The Power of Words

**As Strong As Wisteria**

**Chapter 9: The Power of Words**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, just this fic and my OCs. Again, I also do not own the song Beautiful by Ayaka.**

**Terms:**

***seifuku=Japanese sailor uniform**

* * *

**Seina**

She took a little while to push herself back up from getting bitten by Mistress Centipede. Somehow, she found the strength to cover herself in purification energy, ensuring her wound wouldn't get infested by demonic taint or a simple infection from the demon's fangs.

Her shoulder hurt _terribly_. She felt hot blood-_her_ blood-drip from the wound, running down her shoulder to coat her arm, further staining the white of her *seifuku. It burned and ached so much, Seina wanted to chop off her shoulder just to cease feeling the pain.

A rather irrational thought, since chopping off her shoulder would only make it even worse...

_'Get it together, Seina! You're getting...off-topic... Get...up!' _she screamed mentally, as fatigue worked its way into her bones.

She inhaled shakily, her heart still racing from the adrenaline rush and her stand against the demon. She could smell the earthy scent of the soil, the green aroma of the grass, and whiffs of rusty copper from her wound. It felt...relieving, to smell the earth. It was still the ground, regardless if there were humans or demons treading it. It was a constant, and that brought Seina comfort.

Everything felt so heavy all of a sudden. She didn't want to get up, even as Mistress Centipede swallowed the jewel. Even as Kagome screamed her name. Even as a bright light emitted from the Goshinboku after the centipede demon turned more grotesque.

Then, it hit her. She needed to get up. _Now_.

With an inner strength she'd been ignorant of until this point, she pushed herself up off the ground, pointedly blocking out the screams from her body.

Her eyes widened at the sight of an unsealed Inuyasha, who pulsed with a power that hadn't been there before. He cackled maniacally with Kagome still pinned to him by Mistress Centipede. A joyful, bloodthirsty look glistened in his golden orbs. Seina suppressed the urge to shiver at the dread it caused her.

"Inu...yasha? Kagome...what have you done?" she murmured, torn between yelling at her cousin and dragging her far from the scene.

Mistress Centipede screeched in outrage, momentarily releasing her hold on the half-demon and her cousin, only to tighten it ten-fold.

"KAGOME!" Seina cried, jumping to her feet.

Her heart dropped into her stomach, until seconds later a golden light protruded from the gaps in the demon's grip. Inuyasha let out a battle cry, tearing apart Mistress Centipede's tail in a matter of seconds.

Kagome was sent flying, harshly hitting the ground with another gash on her abdomen from the attack. Bits and pieces of the demon's tail surrounded her, and the ravenette appeared terrified of what she'd unleashed.

Seina scrambled over to her, snapping her attention away from the freed half-demon spinning in the air.

"Kagome? Kagome! Are you okay?!"

Her cousin forced a smile. "Y-yeah, I think so."

"Let me see."

"Sei-chan, it's really not neccessar-"

"Let. Me. See." Seina demanded in a tone so cold it sent chills down Kagome's spine.

Reluctantly, she lifted up her seifuku shirt as Mistress Centipede cursed out Inuyasha, who simply retaliated with telling her to shut up, also adding "old hag" at the end.

Quickly, Seina assessed Kagome's injury. "You're lucky it isn't too deep. I don't think it'll cause any major blood loss, or internal bleeding. Get up, we're not safe here. Go over to Kaede and the others!"

Kagome scowled. "No! Not when you're still over here!"

"Kagome, I am not asking. I'll join you after I find the Shikon no Tama. Hurry! Go now!"

She hesitated for a moment, while Inuyasha yelled "Iron Reaver, Soul Stealer!" and used his claws to tear through Mistress Centipede from her head to the very end of her already injured tail with a grin on his face.

Then, as Kagome curled her hands into fists, she hurried to her feet and ran over to the villagers and Kaede, who hastily took her behind them, out of Inuyasha's view.

While he was distracted, Seina took advantage of the moment to search for the Shikon no Tama. A piece of the tail was still moving, so it was probably there.

She squinted, trying to think of how she'd seen the jewel before. It shone very brightly, even while inside Kagome...so, she needed to look for where the flesh shone.

Unfortunately, Kaede started shouting what she'd already digressed, telling her to find where the flesh shone in order to find the jewel, or else Mistress Centipede would simply continue rejuvenating. She hadn't known the last bit, so it compelled her to ignore the fact it was an absolutely disgusting job.

She found it after a brief few seconds of searching, scampering over to it and nabbing the Shikon no Tama as fast as she could. The flesh dissolved into nothing, scattering in the faint breeze passing by and leaving only bones behind.

Seina turned to the approaching group of villagers and Kaede, attempting to hand the miko the jewel. "Here, I managed to find it."

The elderly woman shook her head, gesturing to Kagome. "Only she can possess the Jewel."

"Eh? M-me? Why?!" the ravenette exclaimed, not eager to accept the stupid thing back.

"Well, it _did_ come...from your body. I suppose...that is...as good a reason as any." Seina huffed, her head injury continuing to bother her.

When she swayed on her feet, Kaede was quick to assist her. "Oh, dear. Seina, you need to rest. You can barely stand, and I am troubled by your difficulty in speech. It means you must have severely hit your head, and it needs to be treated as soon as possible."

"I...know. But...we still...have a problem." She heaved, subtly glancing at the half-demon several feet away, relishing his victory.

Her grip tightened on the Shikon no Tama. "Kaede-sama...would it be okay if...if I watched over the Jewel instead? I am a miko, even if I only recently unlocked my powers. Please, I...I cannot put my cousin...in any more danger."

Kagome pursed her lips at her words. "Hey! I'm not totally defenseless! You're not my mom!"

Seina shot her a narrowed glare. "Kagome, you are. Until...you demonstrate...miko abilities...you are."

Kaede hummed thoughtfully. "I suppose it is indeed the more logical decision. You seem a very responsible person and miko, Seina. From what I have seen, you are true to your heart, and very selfless. I rarely ever make exceptions like this, but...since you have awakened your miko powers, I will agree to your request. You can even sense and see the Jewel. Perhaps it is because you are related..."

"Thank you, Kaede-sama." The brunette uttered in relief, attempting to bow to her even though she was being propped up by said miko.

Kagome scowled, prompting Seina to defend her actions. "Kagome, even though it came from your body...it is too dangerous. This jewel can empower demons, you should not have to bear that burden.

Kaede opened her mouth to speak, but Inuyasha was getting impatient. His bare foot crushed some of the bones of the Mistress Centipede unflinchingly. Seina jumped a little, her nerves still frayed.

She pushed off of the old miko, preparing to possibly run for her life if needed. Just because Inuyasha defeated the centipede demon didn't mean he was automatically an ally.

"Exactly! Which a _human_ has no possible use for! If you don't want to feel the pain of my claws...just give me the Jewel and get it over with!"

The brunette heard Kagome gasp in surprise.

"But! But! But isn't he supposed to be the hero?!"

It almost made Seina laugh. How could she think something so childish and naive? The world wasn't like fairy tails: not everyone was a good Samaritan or a hero.

"No. Just because he took care of a mutual problem...does not...make him a hero. Mistress Centipede...was a problem...for both of us. He was simply...getting rid of...competition."

Inuyasha smirked. "She's right, you know. I want the Shikon no Tama just as badly as that old hag did."

The village men surrounded the half-demon, armed with bows and arrows and spears. They hardly posed a threat to him, judging by his relaxed expression.

"Seina! Do not hand over the Jewel!" Kaede commanded, shielding the teen with her body.

"I know." Seina replied, clutching it tightly in one hand.

It was funny. She was supposed to be used to this by now, right? After everything that transpired, wasn't she supposed to be all brave and stone-faced? So...why did she still feel so terrified?

Kagome looked at her cousin in astonishment. "B-but Sei-chan! If we just hand it over-"

"-Then Inuyasha will not only...be turned into something beyond our comprehension, but...he will kill us all. This is not a light...decision...I am making, 'Gome-chan."

"I show no mercy! Especially to women whose scent I dislike!" the half-demon announced, glaring from Kagome to Seina.

_'Why does he dislike _my_ scent? I do not smell like Kikyo. Hmph, rude as always.' _the brunette frowned, backing away a little.

He came charging at Seina, who turned and ran for her life. Kagome was smart enough to stay away, for once. She kept an eye on Inuyasha's movements, realizing he was about to descend and slice her head off.

With a scream, she purposely jumped over the ribcage of Mistress Centipede to perform a forward roll, narrowly evading Inuyasha's deadly claws. She stumbled forward a little, skidding to a stop when the half-demon landed perfectly a few feet away, brandishing his claws.

"Next it'll be you, split down the middle!"

"Y-You were serious just now, weren't you?!" they heard Kagome yell in the distance.

Seina refrained from face-palming. "Kagome, stop talking!"

"You should listen to her, brat! Or else I just might target you next!"

The brunette facing Inuyasha quivered on her battered legs. Her hands flared sporadically with her miko powers, causing the Jewel to glow brighter.

"S-Shoot!" One of the village men shouted, but all of their simple arrows were swatted away like flies with a single hand.

Lunging forward, the half-demon sliced the two trees flanking the men, causing them to scatter. "Who do you think I am?! Don't you dare treat me like some dumb Centipede Monster!"

_'Now's my chance!' _Seina thought, pushing herself to run as fast as she could from the silver-haired boy.

Inuyasha, as she suspected, caught up with her quickly. "Prepare yourself!"

"What is that supposed to mean?! I can't!" She retorted, running faster somehow.

He struck with his claws again, sending her flying. The Jewel bounced out of her hand, landing but a foot away. She backed up, grabbing it again as she gaped at the claw-shaped crater he caused in the ground.

Inuyasha leapt off a tree, heading straight for a shocked Seina. "Heh! Now it's mine!"

He never had the chance, since the beads from the rosary Kaede possessed went shooting like fireworks, reattaching around his neck. The half-demon stopped, tugging at the jewelry that wouldn't come off.

"What's this?!"

Realizing how close he was, Seina shrieked and got to her feet, prepared to run away again.

"Seina! Recite the Word to hold Inuyasha's spirit!" Kaede called.

"W-What is the Word?!"

"Just say something! To subjugate the Inuyasha!"

She started thinking about some kind of word to subjugate the half-demon as she sprinted away, barely holding onto the Jewel when a piece of earth she stood under collapsed, causing her to fall down a little drop.

Picking herself up, she dashed towards the nearby bridge when Inuyasha pursued her again. It couldn't be something common, or else she'd continue subjugating him even when she didn't need to. Something of a trait of his?

"Subjugate me, will you?! You damn idiot!"

Inuyasha was _so close_ to her! She barely managed to stop herself from running straight into his claws! He was about to snatch away the Jewel from her. She hastily backed away, putting some space between them. It was a good thing he was so arrogant, because he took his time, not believing she'd be able to do it.

Silver, like his hair? No. That was stupid. Uhh...gold? No, that was probably a source of currency here. Claws? Eyes? Ears?!

Wait. Dog ears! Something related to dogs...oh, what would Kagome say?! Usually, the first command dogs learned was...

"S-Sit!"

The Subjugation Beads glowed seconds before Inuyasha slammed face-first into the wood of the bridge.

Seina backed off the bridge, slumping to her knees in relief. "It worked...oh, thank Kami..."

She shakily ran a hand through her dirty, bloodied hair. Her heart was pounding yet again. She was so _tired_.

Inuyasha sat up, enraged by the beads as he attempted to yank them off. "W-what's _this_?! Damn!"

"It's useless, Inuyasha. Your powers cannot remove the rosary." Kaede called in a calm tone, observing the pair with Kagome and the rest of the villagers on the cliff Seina fell from.

"Shut up, old hag! You're first in line! Though, you look half-dead already!"

"Sei-chan!" Kagome called, sliding down the broken part of the overhang to nearly crush her cousin to death in an extremely tight hug.

"K-Kagome...m-my shoulder..." She wheezed, feeling her lungs start to cave in on her.

"Oh, sorry!" the ravenette exclaimed, pulling away to see she'd reopened the wound. Her guilt multiplied.

"It's fine."

"Seina, the Word." Kaede calmly requested.

The girl nodded, turning to Inuyasha with a hardened expression. "Sit!"

Once again, the half-demon was slammed to the ground by the beads, breaking through the bridge and getting carried away by the powerful river beneath.

"Now, then...let us return to the village." Kaede said, helping the two girls up the cliff.

Her injuries and exhaustion caught up with her since she was no longer in danger, and Seina finally let her energy sputter and die. She saw black spots in her vision, probably not a good sign.

She never let go of the Shikon no Tama, but her legs buckled under her. She collapsed to the ground, blacking out with the fading voices of Kagome and Kaede calling to her.

_'I'm so relieved...it's over...'_

* * *

**The Next Day**

**Kagome**

She woke up to the sound of loud voices and the bright rays of dawn on her face. It smelled like incense, charred wood, and home-cooked food. The air was different...fresher...

It made her a bit irritable, but the insane events of yesterday all came flooding back, along with a surge of panic.

"Sei-chan!" she cried, jumping up and looking around for her cousin.

Seina was still unconscious, sleeping on a cot right next to her. Her seifuku shirt was off, but the blanket covered everything except her hands clasped over her chest and her shoulders.

Her injured shoulder was thoroughly bandaged, as well as her head. Seina's other scrapes and bruises appeared to have been taken care of, too. Kagome herself got treated by Kaede once they returned to the village later that night.

Kagome let herself relax a little, sitting on her knees as she brushed some hair out of Seina's pale, sweaty face. "Geez, Sei-chan...why'd you have to go and risk yourself like this?"

She heard a rustling, as if someone was starting to enter the house. Since it didn't sound like Kaede, Kagome searched her cousin for the Shikon no Tama-finding it in her clasped hands-and grabbed the nearest object she could use as a weapon: a clay pot.

A familiar figure adorning a red hitatare came into view, his golden orbs gleaming maliciously in fragments of light.

"Kyaah! S-stay away! What're you doing back here?!" She exclaimed, raising the pot as if to throw it at him.

"Tch! Why else? For the Shikon no Tama! Now where's that-huh? She's _sleeping_?" Inuyasha said in bewilderment, not believing after everything that transpired, Seina was letting her guard down by sleeping for so long.

Kagome narrowed her eyes, hesitantly moving over to her cousin. "Of course! After everything that happened yesterday, she needs her rest!"

A devious grin appeared on the half-demon's face, one of his elongated canines poking out from his mouth. "Perfect. If she's asleep, then there's no one to use these stupid Beads on me! Keh, next time you'll know better than to use so much energy, Idiot!"

Seina's face twitched slightly, causing him to pause. The terrified ravenette caught it as well, and reluctantly started shaking her cousin.

"Sei-chan! Sei-chan! Help, Inuyasha's here!"

Her face became pinched and tense, her eyes starting to flutter. "Unh?"

"It's Inuyasha! Use the Word!"

Instantly, the brunette shot up with such a serious expression even the half-demon present felt a little disturbed. "SIT!"

The resounding 'smack' from Inuyasha slamming to the wooden floor of Kaede's home filled the room, and also caused said miko to storm through the door.

"What is going on-Inuyasha? You still cannot give up, can you? I thought you would have learned your lesson last night on that bridge."

The silver-haired boy looked up from his place on the floor, glaring at the miko with a reddening face due to the Beads. "Shut up, you old hag!"

Seina slumped back onto her cot, already passed out again from the unexpected movement. Kagome gasped, making sure she hadn't hit her head again.

"Sei-chan!"

Kaede assessed her injuries, ensuring none of them reopened. She sighed, turning back to the worried ravenette after covering Seina back up with her blanket.

"She needs more rest. She only just awakened her powers, and I don't even think we've seen her limits yet. But she is not yet used to the strain, and her injuries were quite worrying before I treated them. Her exhaustion from shock and battle are wearing on her, as well. Inuyasha, _behave_, or Kagome and I will be forced to rouse Seina again to subjugate you."

He scooted over to a nearby wall, lying on his side with his back to the three females. "Tch, fine. Whatever. But only because that girl's got the Jewel and that..._Word_."

Kagome looked back at Seina, full of concern and confusion. "I don't understand why she pushed herself like this. She shouldn't have risked her life like that!"

"She did it because she cares about you, Kagome." Kaede answered, eyeing Inuyasha suspiciously.

The ravenette glanced elsewhere, edging away from her cousin. "This is all my fault. If I'd just listened to her in the first place, she wouldn't be like this right now."

Kaede sighed, preparing some breakfast for the teen. "Stop that kind of talk. What's past is past, and there is nothing that can be changed about it. Come, let's see your wound while I am here."

Kagome turned to face Kaede, who immediately started inspecting the gashes on her belly. "I'll change the bandages. More salve can be added later."

"Owww..."

"Be relieved your cousin had notes in mind when the two of you were resting before Mistress Centipede attacked. You would have been off far worse otherwise. Though, i do not completely understand why extreme heat or sake are required for cleaning wounds."

"I'm not sure I can explain it well. If Sei-chan was awake, I'm sure she'd be able to just fine."

The downcast expression on the ravenette's face made Kaede quirk a brow. "Kagome, do not start thinking you are below Seina or worth less than her. Yes, Seina does have a good head on her shoulders and is rather patient and responsible, but she was not the one willing to risk her life for the sake of strangers. You wanted to draw away Mistress Centipede's attention not only for your cousin, but for the people of this village as well."

"But Sei-chan-" she started to argue, only for the old miko to bring up a hand to silence her.

"Seina is polite, but that does not mean she is sympathetic to everyone. From what I've gathered, she's lost much very recently. Tremendous losses of those you love can do things to you; it can cause you to keep people at an arm's length. I think Seina is hurting too much inside to allow herself to care for others, especially people she doesn't know. She only mustered the courage to fight back against that foul demon when _your_ life was in danger, Kagome, and no one else's."

The girl was stunned into silence. _'Does Sei-chan...really care _that _much for me? To throw caution to the wind and just jump into action like before? I always thought...I always thought I just annoyed her...'_

"That means you cannot take your life lightly, child. Seina only has you right now, and if you were gone...I'm not sure what path she would decide to take." The aged miko sighed, glancing at the slumbering girl on the cot.

She got up to finish preparing breakfast, handing Kagome some gruel with sides of vegetables, rice, and fruit, then returned to tending to the ravenette's injuries.

Kagome chewed on Kaede's words, trying to differentiate between what was the truth and what she'd blown up in her head. Seina cared about her, but couldn't care less about the villagers? She'd gotten a certain image of her cousin in her head: she was strong, brave, selfless, and caring. She was better than what Kagome thought herself to be by a _lot_. Was it all just her imagination? What about protecting the Shikon no Tama?

_'Please, I...I cannot put my cousin...in any more danger.'_

Had Seina really only been thinking of protecting her, even then? What if only Seina had fallen down the well? Would she just stand idly by as innocents were slaughtered by demons, even though she'd received training as a miko her entire life?

Kagome shook her head, refusing to listen to the doubts circling in her head. Just because Seina hadn't said she wanted to protect the villagers, didn't mean she didn't want to.

"Eat your food to replenish your strength, and I will return in a few hours to check on your and Seina's wounds. Do not feel guilty if you have to wake her up to ward off Inuyasha; she is the only one that can subdue him, now."

Kagome nodded, watching the old miko leave the house to aid the villagers. She glared at Inuyasha for a few minutes before returning to watching over Seina.

_'Amazing how much one word can do...I didn't even know that was possible. Did Sei-chan know?'_

She probably had an idea of what the Subjugation Beads did. Kagome wouldn't be surprised. Her oji-san Yoichi had been a very informative and thorough man. She recalled what Kaede said about how Seina must be hurting too much inside to bring herself to care about others, staring at the girl in sad bemusement.

_'Sei-chan...I didn't know you were hurting this much. How hard has it been, listening to me ramble about stupid little problems? To laugh with the rest of us? To be able to study and do well in school?'_

If she'd known the extent of the inner turmoil Seina was going through, could she have done or said something differently to help her? Perhaps even a, "It's gonna be tough, but I'm here for you" would've sufficed.

"...Oi..."

"What?" the ravenette snapped, whipping her head to glare at the half-demon.

She was surprised to find him looking back at not her, but Seina, full of a mysterious curiosity she couldn't place.

"Is what the old hag said true?"

"Eh? Which part of it?"

He glanced away, appearing...flustered? Nah, that couldn't be. There was no way someone as cold-blooded as _him_ was getting flustered at asking a question.

"Never mind."

"Huh?! You can't just ask me something and then drop it! Don't you know-"

"I said never mind, dammit!" Inuyasha grumbled, turning away.

Kagome rolled her eyes. Were all demons this indecisive?

"Whatever. Just stay over there, got it? If you don't, I'll scream and wake up Seina."

"Yeah, yeah. I got it. Pesky little look-alike..."

"Hey! I heard you, you jerk!" She snapped, quieting when Seina began to stir.

"S..." the brunette muttered, causing Inuyasha to stiffen. "S...Stop..."

Kagome snickered, watching the half-demon physically slump in relief.

"Sorry, Sei-chan."

Her sleep appeared to get more distressed, with her brows knitted together as a frown tugged her lips downward. Sweat started lining her forehead as incoherent mumbling spilled from her mouth.

"Shh, shhh...umm...I just want to hear you singing so softly~ The tears you shed on that day, you won't see it~ But what shall come is laughter...There's a gentle breeze in an empty heart~ It hurts when your heart is regretting love..."

"What the hell are you singing?" Inuyasha questioned rudely, eliciting a scowl from the ravenette.

"It's a song Sei-chan and I grew up listening to. Her mom...her mom used to sing it. She had the prettiest voice I'd ever heard, aside from my mom's...I miss her." Kagome answered, growing somber while speaking of her deceased aunt.

The half-demon tore his gaze away to the floorboards. His brow furrowed as his mouth curved upside-down. If she didn't know any better, he appeared almost...sad. Like he was remembering something relatable.

She blinked, mentally laughing. _'Yeah, right. Like this guy even cares.'_

Kagome resumed humming the song of her and Seina's childhood, gently wiping away a tear rolling down her cheek.

_'I wonder...what her last words to her parents were? Does it haunt her? Did...did she get to say what she wanted to say?'_

The ravenette couldn't help but ponder. Seina was very reclusive when it came to the subject of her parents, so Kagome knew little to nothing about what actually happened during the accident.

However, she was starting to understand the power words held. Something as insignificant as 'sit' could subjugate a strong demon. How much power did words like 'I love you', or 'mother' hold?

How much could they affect a person?

For Seina's sake, Kagome prayed it wasn't much. It pained her just to get a glimpse into her suffering.

"Sei-chan...I don't know the real power behind words yet, but...I hope my words can help somehow. I'm glad you're my cousin, Seina. You're like the onee-chan I've always wanted. So, please...feel better. I care about you, too."

She felt the resulting peace that washed over Seina was in part due to her genuine words, no matter what Inuyasha or anyone else thought, and that brought a smile to Kagome's face.

* * *

**A/N: Whew! Hopefully this longer chapter makes up for it being (technically) two days late! My bad! Not only did I think yesterday was Wednesday, but I also had plans with a friend. Sorry! And I might not be able to update for the next couple weeks because of...life. Anyways, review, favorite, and follow! They inspire me and help motivate me to keep writing chapters for this story!**


	10. A Flower Starts to Bloom

**As Strong As Wisteria**

**Chapter 10: A Flower Starts to Bloom**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha! Just this fic and my OCs. **

**A/N: SO SORRY I'M LIKE TWO WEEKS BEHIND! I've had a lot going on recently that's made it hard to get to writing, and then when I DO have time I lack the energy to write...ANYWAYS I'm back now! **

**A huge thank you to all who favorited/followed this story! And also to XxSerendipityxX, MakImp, and Volpiko for reviewing! I really appreciate it! As always, please review, favorite, and follow!**

* * *

**A Few Hours Later**

**Seina**

It felt like she'd been asleep for days when her eyes finally fluttered open. She was feeling much better after sleeping, even if she woke up to the noise of construction outside.

Out of her blurry vision, she could see Kagome's head of raven hair nearby. It was reassuring to see her well, especially after everything that happened last night. Her head was still aching, as was her shoulder, but it wasn't as terrible compared to when she first sustained the injuries.

When the fog of remaining grogginess faded from her mind, Seina came to realize she was lying on a cot inside of Kaede's home. The villagers must have brought her back after she passed out.

Why was she feeling so...exposed to the breeze?

Despite her head, she forced herself to look down at herself, realizing her chest was well-wrapped in bandages, as was her injured shoulder. She brought up a hand to gingerly touch her forehead, which was also wrapped.

Oh. Well, that explained it. If she wasn't so groggy and slightly disoriented, she'd be blushing madly and tugging up the blankets for decency's sake. At least not much was showing due to the amount of bandages wrapped around her person.

She became aware of the fact Kaede sat beside a wincing Kagome, in the middle of speaking to her while she changed the gauze and salve.

"...now that the Shikon no Tama has reappeared...there will be others who seek to possess it."

"Like yesterday." The ravenette agreed, thinking back to the horrors of Mistress Centipede and Inuyasha.

Seina tensed, glancing down at her sheet-covered lap. She wished she could put her shirt back on to feel a little more dignity, but it was shredded for the most part. It couldn't serve its purpose anymore.

She noticed her hair was down; the long tresses cascaded down her shoulders and back in soft waves from her braid. It was bloody, dirty, and tangled beyond recognition. She must look like a wreck.

_'It is difficult to wrap my head around the fact all of that insanity happened over night. It all happened so fast...'_

Kaede hummed in agreement. "And not just demons, but also humans, who have evil in their hearts. With all the violence in the world...it follows that there will be those who seek the Jewel's power to realize their greedy ambitions."

"Huh."

_'It makes sense. One of the bloodiest periods of Japanese history _has_ to have many desperate or evil souls waiting for the chance to obtain such a jewel and destroy whatever they wish. The pressure for protecting that thing is unreal...and Kagome seems more prepared to do it than I am. What was I thinking?' _Seina thought, hating herself for assuming she'd be suitable for the task.

It seemed the two females were distracted enough to not notice she was awake. It gave her some time to let the dread of reality sink in.

_'I...I almost died. _Kagome_ almost died. This isn't a hallucination or a crazy lucid dream. If we stay in this time period, who's to say next time a demon won't rip out one of our hearts or tear us to shreds gleefully? Okaa-san, Otou-san, I'm...I'm scared. You never said demons were real! You never told me I'd have to deal with this someday! I'm...I'm too frightened to do anything right. I just want to forget everything and return to my normal life!'_

While her thoughts grew increasingly panicked, she felt her pulse pick up in speed, soon thudding inside her chest and filling her ears. She thought her chest was going to explode.

"Hey! Why are you still here, anyway?" she heard Kagome ask in an annoyed, angry tone.

Confused, the brunette glanced over to spot an all-too familiar red hitatare and long silver hair. She jumped a little, startled by the half-demon's presence. How long had he been there? And why wasn't he attacking her?

"Give me the Shikon no Tama!" he called over his shoulder, hardly sparing them a glimpse.

"It seems the holding power of the rosary is quite effective. Ever since you woke Seina to suppress him from getting near the Jewel, he's been behaving quite nicely. We won't have to worry." Kaede remarked, eyeing him harshly.

_'I...was woken up before? I can't remember such a thing happening...perhaps I was still too out of it.' _Seina mused, growing alarmed when she couldn't find the said Jewel.

"Why do you want the Shikon no Tama? You're awfully strong right now. You don't really need its power, do you?" Kagome asked, inspecting the jewel sitting in her open palm.

Ah, so that's where it went. Seina didn't want it back. What she said last night was on impulse from her foggy brain and adrenaline rush to protect her cousin. But if she were to be honest...it seemed like Kagome was fine on her own. Seina's concern was unnecessary, and that Jewel...did things when she held it.

It flared with an incredible power whenever she activated her miko abilities, and it almost felt like it was speaking to her in her head. But that was impossible; probably just her concussion messing with her.

Kaede got to her feet, holding her bowl of water with a rag. "He is only half-demon."

Seina jumped again when Inuyasha suddenly punched a hole through the floorboards, sending the old miko a heated glare.

"You old hag. Who do you think you are, anyway? Don't talk as if you know all about me!"

"Don't you understand? I guess it can't be helped. I am the younger sister of Kikyo...the one who put the spell on you. I am Kaede."

When she made her way over to Seina, for some reason she hurriedly lied back down, pretending to be asleep. Why? Why would she act so childishly? Kaede would know she's awake by checking her breathing.

"Kaede?" The silver-haired boy repeated, sounding confused.

A cool, wet cloth was pressed to her forehead as the old miko gently pulled down the sheets to inspect her bandaged chest.

"Oh, so you're that kid?"

After concluding her tending to Seina, the old miko went over to the little fireplace to keep it going.

"Fifty years have passed. And I have grown old."

"And that means...Kikyo must be really old now, too. Humans age so easily. That's the way it goes." Inuyasha remarked smugly.

Seina could _feel_ his cocky smirk, that little jerk.

_'Wait...is he unaware Kikyo is dead? How? It was implied so many times. Is he not as smart as he is strong?' _she wondered, subtly pulling up the sheets a little higher to hide her own growing smirk. _'I am a terrible person for being amused by this.'_

"My sister Kikyo died. On the same day that she shot the spellbound arrow at you." Kaede corrected, her tone somber as she added more firewood to the crackling flames.

It wasn't long, but there was a pause of silence that filled the quaint hut. Seina wondered if Inuyasha mourned for Kikyo in those brief few seconds. Somehow, she highly doubted he and the deceased miko were just friends.

"Ah, so that's how it went. She kicked the bucket, huh? Heh, what a relief!"

_'You're such a liar, Inuyasha.'_ the brunette mused bitingly.

"Inuyasha, it is too early to breathe a sigh of relief. Kagome...you are the reincarnation of my sister, Kikyo."

_'R-Reincarnation?!'_

At this rate, Seina wouldn't be able to stay silent for much longer.

"It's not just your appearance or psychic powers...but the fact that you carried the Shikon no Tama within yourself...that is irrefutable proof. I know what I said last night, but...you must protect the Shikon no Tama, Kagome."

"Pft, yeah, 'cuz she did such a great job last night: abandoning her cousin and letting her almost die for it."

"Inuyasha-"

"I told her to, that's why. And yet, she still came back and freed you, knowing it was our best shot at defeating that centipede monster." Seina stated, glaring at the silver-haired boy.

He glared back, turning away with a cluck of his tongue.

"Sei-chan! You're awake!" She heard Kagome exclaimed, the ravenette soon hovering over her in relief.

Her voice was too loud for her traumatized brain, causing her to grimace. "Yes...could you please quiet down? My head still hurts..."

"Oh, right. Sorry..."

Seina forced a smile. "It's fine. Um...did Kaede-sama treat me last night?"

Her cousin nodded, a bright smile illuminating her face. "Yup! After we brought you back to the village, she asked me if you had anything in your med kit that could prove more effective when she was tending to your injuries. I found your notes, and apparently they helped."

"Ah, good. So she sterilized and stitched the wounds before treating them with antibiotics and gauze?"

"Uh, yeah. How'd you even know to make those notes, anyway?"

Seina shrugged while still lying in her cot, regretting the action when pain flared in her shoulder. She lowered her voice, not wanting Inuyasha's heightened senses picking up her words. "I suppose it was partly a lucky guess, but I figured since we're in the Feudal Era, we'd more than likely suffer from stab wounds and the sort, considering their weaponry in this time period. It's more of a general guide for deep wounds than anything."

Kagome hummed, partly out of curiosity and partly because she was able to deduce something like that. She opened one of her palms, revealing the shimmering Shikon no Tama.

"Here. I grabbed it when Inu-er, when something happened. And you were unconscious for the entire night and most of the morning, so..."

Seina smiled, closing Kagome's hand around the Jewel with a shaky one of her own. "I don't think I can properly protect it right now, not without injuring myself further. I am surprised I didn't activate any Shikigami, but perhaps I was not pushed far enough or something. They run in my family, though...maybe it skipped me?"

_'Great, I'm changing the subject. If the situation was different, she'd know it was my tell for when I am scared. I just want my normal life back. I don't want to protect that accursed Jewel! But neither should 'Gome-chan...maybe we should just take it back with us? I'm sure the well holds the key to returning back to our time. Once we are back home, we can destroy it once and for all. Isn't that the right thing to do? Or is it just me making excuses for my cowardice?'_

Kagome glanced uncertainly at her enclosed hand. "Are you sure I should be holding onto this? Inuyasha's right: you were better at keeping it safe last night than I was..."

"That is because I didn't give you a chance. And for that...I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to forgive! You were just looking out for me," the ravenette grinned.

She envied her luminous, cheerful smile. Kagome's smile could light up an entire room, whereas hers barely glowed. Where did her strength go? Where did her willpower go? Feeling down and panicked about everything wasn't going to change her circumstances.

But...somehow, Seina felt like acting as if everything was normal would be weird. It was definitely weirding her out that Kagome accepted everything so quickly. She hadn't even said anything when she was told she was a dead miko's reincarnation!

"Seina, let me get a better look at your injuries now that you are awake." Kaede said, making her way over to the injured girl.

"Ah, yes, of course." She agreed, forcing herself up into a sitting position.

Kagome shot the half-demon present a nasty look, appearing so intimidating he flinched. "Don't you dare peak, you pervert!"

Seina was surprised to glimpse at a currently flustered half-demon, his cheeks starting to burn red. "P-Pervert?! Hell no! Tch, there's probably nothing to look at anyways!"

_'Nothing...to look at? Tch, whatever. Another guy whose mouth runs faster than his brain.'_

She made a scary-looking face, with a tight smile and eyes widening a little in vexation. It creeped out the nearby Kagome, who quickly reeled away from the depressing, frightening aura filling the room.

Even Inuyasha appeared both puzzled and terrified.

"Ah...I see."

"'I see'?! Sei-chan, he just insulted you!"

"How did I even insult her?! I just said I wasn't gonna look! G-Geez, what's up with that face? For some reason, I'm getting a chill..." the half-demon remarked, suppressing a shiver.

"No, he's right. There's really nothing to see here..."

Kagome gasped. "Sei-chan! How can you say that?! You're pretty!"

Seina grit her teeth, clenching the sheets covering her from the waist down. "'Gome-chan, let's be honest. I do not exactly have the sexiest physique here. It's his opinion anyway. And I barely pass for pretty; my face and body are only thin due to eating so little, I am only a few inches taller than you, and none of my features are particularly outstanding. You don't need to sugarcoat things for me."

The ravenette pouted, evidently displeased. She even appeared hurt by the sharp edge to her cousin's tone. The teen beauty opened her mouth to protest when Kaede motioned for her to stop.

"Would you mind stepping outside for a moment while I apply new salve and redress her bandages, Kagome?"

"Why does _he _get to stay?" she asked, glaring again at the half-demon.

"Because I can subjugate him if he gets out of hand. If he is with you while you have the Shikon no Tama, it is more dangerous for you and he can make off with the Jewel easier." Seina explained, sending her a forced, reassuring smile.

The ravenette sighed, leaving the hut while grumbling under her breath and saying she was going for a walk. Once she was gone, Seina immediately deflated.

She sighed tiredly as Kaede finished unwrapping her bindings, checking her shoulder and back injuries. She could see the bite wound out of her peripherals, catching the angry red of the two deep holes that were neatly stitched and a bit oily from the salve.

"I admire your care for her, Seina."

"I...don't know what you mean."

"You only kept up that bravado to prevent her from worrying over you, did you not?"

Seina blushed, embarrassed she was found out. "W-Well...maybe."

Kaede smiled, chuckling a little. "There is nothing to feel ashamed about. It is admirable to stay strong for those you love. Kikyo often did the same with me."

"Is that so?"

"Mmm. She downplayed her own worries and health for me, since I would often follow her around, always being concerned over the littlest things. She was my role model and only family."

Seina glanced away, downcast. "I have a little sister as well. Her name is Risa. After my...after certain events, we ended up moving to Kagome's residence together. Until then, all we had were each other. Some people cared for us in the mean time, but they didn't really _care_. Even though I neglected my own health, I always made sure Risa was smiling. It was worth it."

The old miko sighed, shaking her head. "The things older siblings will do for their families..."

"Kaede-sama, I have been meaning to ask you something..."

"Hm? What is it?"

"...did you mean what you said to Kagome about protecting the Shikon no Tama?"

Kaede paused, locking eyes with the teen. "So you overheard that, hm?"

"Yes. I won't deny it. Honestly, I don't want it back. Whenever I used my abilities, it...reacted to them, somehow. And perhaps it is just because of my concussion, but I could have sworn it spoke to me. In my head."

Inuyasha visibly shifted while Kaede was perplexed. "Voices? I've never heard of such a thing happening when one interacts with the Shikon no Tama. If it persists, come to me immediately. Otherwise, I think it's most likely your head injury, as you suspect."

She relaxed, realizing she'd been holding up Kaede's treatment of her. "Well, that's a relief. It might sound cowardly, but...I just want to go back home. I was never mentally prepared to deal with demons and magic and mikos. Do you think, um," she lowered her voice, leaning closer to Kaede to keep her question from the sensitive ears of Inuyasha. "it'd be wise to take the Jewel back with us and destroy it there?"

"Destroy the Shikon no Tama? It would be the wisest course of action, yes. Especially in a place where there is little to no threat of interruption from demons or humans with seeds of evil in their hearts. It is what my Onee-sama intended to do when she died. We burned it along with her body. To see it return does not bode well...but how do you propose you return?"

"I have a theory. It involves the well you mentioned. I'll...discuss the details later. I think I've held you up enough from your work."

"Very well. I have prepared some boiled water to clean the wounds again, as stated in your notes. How could you have predicted this, I wonder?"

"I did not predict these exact injuries. Those notes I wrote down were pretty much just in case of emergencies. They were mostly my thoughts on how to care for serious wounds and the best ways to sterilize them, anyways. It's a habit of mine to jot down medical notes and my hypotheses regarding them. Are you going to ask me why I included such strange methods?"

"I did not wish to pry. Kagome was the one who searched for anything useful in your bag after you collapsed, once we returned to the village. When she came across your notes, she urged me to heed them in treating you."

Seina hissed when the heated water met her tender skin, followed by a sterilized cloth to mop it up.

"Owww."

"I'm almost done, don't worry. Now, to apply the salve..."

As Kaede worked on thoroughly covering the bite wound with the medicinal salve, Seina explained her methods to the old woman to pass the time. She asked several questions, and the two exchanged medical knowledge. Seina also mentioned how she grew up under the tutelage of her very intelligent and experienced mother, who worked as a doctor, and how her father drilled so much knowledge regarding demons, purification, mikos, and so on into her head.

Eventually, brunette's attention wandered to Inuyasha, who was still in the same spot he was in when she first awoke. His ears twitched every so often, and she found herself voicing her curiosities before she could ponder if it was a good idea or not.

"Did you care for her?"

His ears perked up while Kaede paused in her care, glancing warily to the half-demon.

"Hah? The hell are you talking about, Idiot?"

"You know what. Kikyo: did you care for her?"

She watched him tense, trying not to whip around to her and probably yell at her face. Instead, he clucked his tongue.

"Hell no. Why do you care?"

"I think you're lying."

"Shut up! No I'm no-"

"Yes, you are. We both know I was awake for longer than I let on, and I heard much to think over. When Kaede-sama told you Kikyo is dead, you hesitated."

He slammed a clawed hand onto the floorboards, snapping his head over in her direction with burning golden eyes. "I don't give a shit about Kikyo, got it?! She's the reason I was pinned to that damn tree in the first place, so stop putting your nose where it doesn't..."

The half-demon forgot about speech momentarily when he realized she still wasn't covered in bandages. Kaede was halfway through tending to the scratches on her back, leaving Seina topless in the meantime.

She flushed, hastily covering her chest with her arms and letting out an unexpected, girly squeak. "S-Stop staring! You were told not to look, remember?!"

He continued to stare for a moment before blushing and quickly turning his back to her. "I-Idiot! It's not like I _wanted_ to see!"

"I know, but you need to stop acting on instinct so much! That wouldn't have happened otherwise!"

"Ugh, just because you have that Word now doesn't mean you can boss me around, _miko_. I _will _get the Shikon no Tama eventually, even if it means I have to pry it from your cold, dead fingers!"

"..." Seina was silent, too flustered and hurting from a developing headache to respond properly.

Her arms remained crossed over her chest in case he forgot again, cheeks burning intensely from his previous gaze.

"What? No annoying, witty remarks? Lost your nerve already like your cousin, huh?"

"I-It's not that..."

"Then what?"

"Why do you care?"

"I don't!"

Despite herself, amusement caused her lips to quirk up. "I'm still a little tired. And my head hurts from your shouting."

"Tch, shut up!"

"Gladly."

Kaede observed with piqued interest from their interaction, getting around to covering Seina's torso with fresh new bandages.

"There you go. You should stay here and rest until you fully recover."

"Thank you, Kaede-sama. You did not have to do this, you know."

The elderly woman got to her feet again, gathering her medical supplies. "As the head of this village and a miko, I did indeed. You and Kagome spared our village from complete destruction by the likes of that vile demon, even if you released Inuyasha in the process."

Seina bowed as deeply as she could without undoing her handiwork. "It was nothing, really, and I am sorry if we have caused more problems for you."

"While it is true we have suffered some damage, it isn't anything we aren't used to. Relax yourself for now, Seina. Regarding the Jewel...what I said about Kagome as its keeper is my opinion that, since it came from her body, the duty of its protection must go to her. She is my sister's reincarnation: in time, I believe she'll grow to be as-if not more so-powerful than her."

"But I can't let her do that!" The brunette protested loudly, grimacing when the pounding in her head wracked her skull as a result.

Kaede quirked a brow. "Oh? And why's that?"

Seina gripped the sheets tightly, forcing herself to meet the old miko's steady gaze.

"I...I might not be as courageous or selfless, and I'm definitely no reincarnation, but...but I grew up learning about purification and demons and miko! I was...always torn between two paths: to become a doctor like my mother, or inherit the shrine from my father. I still haven't fully decided my path, but I _do_ know that both of them require initiative; to protect something or someone important to the best of my abilities! Kagome isn't prepared nor equipped with the proper training to protect the Shikon no Tama. Please, I ask you again...allow me to take the Shikon no Tama and dispose of it in Kagome's residence."

The elderly woman hummed, rubbing her chin in thought as Inuyasha spun around in an instant, charging towards the injured girl with a fury in his eyes she hadn't witnessed before.

"What'd you just say?! 'Dispose of it'?! Like hell I'm gonna let ya!"

Seina's dark honey orbs flickered over to the approaching half-demon with a strange, new tranquility about her. "Inuyasha, please do not make me use the Word again."

"If you're gonna destroy the Jewel then I don't give a shit!" He exclaimed, lunging at her from a few feet away.

Before he could close the distance, Seina opened her mouth. "Sit!"

The Beads glowed seconds before the half-demon slammed face-first onto the floor, forcing himself up on his knees.

He tried to attack again and again, always meeting the floor from Seina's "Sits".

"Are you ready to give up now?"

"N-Never! I'm gonna get that damn Jewel no matter what!"

"Sit."

_Ka-boom! _

"Gah!"

"While I admire your tenacity, this is going to get you nowhere, you realize that, right?"

"Shut up! I don't want a lecture from _you_."

"Suit yourself."

"I'll kill you if it's the last thing I-"

"Sit."

_Ka-boom_!

"Please stop. I don't want to keep using that Word on you. Also, this is getting embarrassing."

Inuyasha pulled his face off the floor again, his breathing labored from all of the 'Sits' he endured. "Tch, fine! For now, I'll back off. But the next time you let your guard down, I'll rip your throat out!"

"It's a good thing I'm usually a light sleeper then, isn't it?"

Kaede sighed, looking from him to the lanky teen sitting in her cot, her eyes shining with regret.

"Seina."

She averted her gaze from a disheveled Inuyasha, whose face was so red from hitting the floor it was the same shade as his hitatare. "Yes, Kaede-sama?"

"You make a good point. Kagome did not have the same upbringing as you, nor does she have the ability to observe and make deductions, or think clearly in the midst of crisis. She acts and does what she thinks is right, without thinking of the consequences. Someday, that might lead to her downfall. However, the Shikon no Tama was produced from inside her body, giving her an automatic right to protect it if she so wishes."

Seina nodded, staring at her lap. _'Why am I so stupid and indecisive? Just moments ago I wanted Kagome to take it off my hands because of how scared and intimidated I am, and here I am trying to take it back! Make up your mind, Seina!'_

"And just moments ago, you were telling me how much you wanted it off your hands."

_'Gah, Kaede noticed as well. Great, I am never winning this debate. Way to go, Seina. Good job there.' _

"I...I realize that. I was thinking selfishly again. And while I'm still very frightened at the implications of protecting the Shikon no Tama, I'd rather it be me than Kagome. At least while she figures out her abilities, I can be of use in defending it until I find a way to destroy it."

Kaede maintained eye contact, her single-eyed stare growing intense. "You acknowledge your mistakes and speak honestly: this I will give you credit for. However, you must promise me something if you're serious about protecting the Shikon no Tama."

Despite her injuries and the miko's advice to rest, Seina moved the sheets to sit on her knees, awaiting her words.

"...don't protect only Kagome. Protect as many people as you can from the taint of demons and the evil hearts of other humans, for that's both a physician's job as well as a miko's. I know you have seen incredible hardship recently, but you mustn't allow your heart to harden. Then your compassion and humanity will crumble away, making you no better than those who seek the Shikon no Tama."

Seina's eyes widened. She thought it over very carefully. Kaede's words rang true: she'd only been thinking of her cousin thus far, trying not to get attached due to the recent losses of her mother and father. Additionally, protecting random people from both demons and other humans alike while also protecting the Jewel was going to be far more difficult. However...maybe with Inuyasha at her side, she could manage.

She never thought she'd be working with a half-demon of all creatures, but she saw the care he secretly carried for humanity. It was obvious he cared-possibly even loved-Kikyo once, before they betrayed each other. Currently he was too full of spite, bitterness, mistrust, and hurt to trust any humans, especially her.

But the look in his eyes was the same look she possessed the first time she glimpsed her reflection after the fire. Perhaps instead of remaining adversaries, they could help each other heal.

Inhaling the aroma of burning wood and the medicinal salve applied to her wounds, she finally decided.

"I'll do it. I promise."

With that, she cemented her fate as a miko protecting a stupid little jewel ball that whispered things in her head. She just hoped it wouldn't drive her insane or kill her.

Kaede smiled, sending her a gentle nod. "Very well, then. I will inform Kagome of my change of mind. She doesn't seem to feel very bothered either way, though she did express her concerns of protecting such an artifact to me. "

"I know. She's lived a normal life until now."

Kaede headed for the door, slipping on her sandals. "...if I must confess one thing, I am please by your progress in just one day."

"Huh? What progress?"

Kaede chuckled. "The way you have committed yourself to protecting those around you, and to do what's right even though you're absolutely terrified. You went back on your word earlier, but now I see you understand how heavily these choices are, and you've made the more difficult choice anyway, and have decided to stick to it. That's true courage, my dear."

She then took her leave. Seina glanced at Inuyasha, who glared back at her.

The brunette smiled a little. "I can see your progress too, you know. Even if no one else acknowledges it, I can see it."

He crossed his arms, huffing. "What? Don't go all soft on me or I'll try and kill you again."

"Yeah, yeah." She smiled, lying back down even though she felt extremely bored.

"I remembered my mother's words to me about Wisteria, you know. When I was making that promise."

"Hah? Wisteria? The hell is that? No, y'know what? I don't give a shit."

"'Wisteria needs some kind of support to grow, but they can also grow on their own. They survive and adapt, always working hard to stay alive and keep growing. Not only are they pretty, but they are also hardy', is what she said."

Inuyasha shot her a confused look. She smiled at him again, attempting to take back control of her filthy hair.

"Okaa-san was like Wisteria: beautiful, hardy, and constantly adapting no matter the circumstances. She became the solidity of our family. I haven't been very flexible in my mindset, not hardy enough, or trying harder to survive. From now on, I'll try harder. I promise...I _will_ get rid of that Jewel. I don't care what you say: from my perspective, it's safer for everyone for it to disappear. And I shall do just that, eventually."

The confident, determined gleam in her eyes startled him to some extent. He found himself wondering how far she'd push herself before shaking off the dangerous path of thoughts settling in his mind.

This human was weird and patient to the point of nearing stupidity, but her determination and calm air painfully reminded him more of Kikyo than her look-alike did once again.

As an afterthought, he wondered why Kagome was taking so long to get back. Eh, she'd probably just gotten lost in the village exploring.

_'So why...do I have a bad feeling all of a sudden?'_

* * *

**A/N: Aaannd there you have it! I apologize again for the tardiness! If anyone seems OOC, PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW AND TELL ME! I'll fix it right away! It's almost 2AM and I'm bone tired, so good night all and as always, please review, favorite, and follow!**


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